Protecting the independence of the judiciary and bringing the constitutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina and its entities into line with European human rights standards are key conditions for progress in the EU integration process, High Representative and EU Special Representative Valentin Inzko and the Chair of the EU Parliament’s Delegation for Relations with South-eastern Europe Doris Pack concluded during a meeting in Sarajevo today.
Inzko highlighted that the EU has been instrumental in providing financial and political support for judicial reform in Bosnia and Herzegovina. “The EU will continue to support the justice sector, and we expect the authorities at all levels to abstain from interference in the independence of the judiciary.”
Speaking of the country’s EU integration process, Inzko and Pack stressed that State institutions must be able to adopt and implement effectively the reforms required in order to join the EU. In this context, Pack reiterated the European Parliament’s call for the establishment of institutions based on the rule of law and capable of efficient decision-making: “Those institutions must be functional, authoritative, independent of political influence and adequately resourced.” She called for key appointments to be made as a matter of urgency, citing the example of the vacant position of Director of the Directorate for European integration.
Doris Pack further expressed the European Parliament’s concern at the political interference in the media in BiH and the intermingling of business, political and media interests, and called on the authorities to fully respect the rights of journalists and the independence of the media.
During the meeting, the HR/EUSR also welcomed the European Parliament’s resolution recognizing the 11th July as the day of commemoration of the genocide in Srebrenica throughout the European Union and calling on all the countries of the western Balkans to do the same. He stressed that remembrance and reconciliation are an important part of the European integration process, a process in which the religious communities, the media and the education system play a significant role.