Public information

After nearly three years of discussion, an agreement on police reform is within reach and it would be tragic to waste this opportunity, Principal Deputy High Representative Raffi Gregorian wrote in a newspaper column published today.

Just three years ago, defence reform in Bosnia and Herzegovina was considered impossible. To get constructive discussion underway it was necessary to overcome a great deal of fear and misinformation. The prospects for reaching agreement were considered slim. I know. I was there.

There is a real opportunity to reach an agreement on police reform and thereby to secure a Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the European Union, the High Representative and EU Special Representative, Christian Schwarz-Schilling, wrote in his weekly newspaper column, stressing that the opportunity must not be missed.

Police reform is fundamental to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s journey from peace implementation to European integration. It is a reform that is urgently needed to improve the life of citizens. But it is also a precondition for the signing of a Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with the European Union. Now, there is a real opportunity to reac [...]

The Directorate will now officially forward the Proposal of the Plan for Implementation of Reform of Police Structures (Implementation Plan) to the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The High Representative and EU Special Representative, Christian Schwarz-Schilling, today paid tribute to the authorities on the successful completion of the technical negotiations aimed at signing a Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with the European Union.

Press statement from meeting of IC representatives with BiH party leaders inBrussels (Party leaders attending: SNSD, Milorad Dodik; PDP, Mladen Ivanic; HDZ 1990, Martin Raguz; HDZ BiH, Barisa Colak; DNS, Marko Pavic; SDS, Mladen Bosic).

Christian Schwarz-Schilling: All politicians – in Bosnia and Herzegovina and elsewhere – need to be influenced, in the first place by the electorate. Reforms are not being advocated for their own sake. They are being advocated because they will deliver practical benefits to the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina and because they will provide this cou [...]

An agreement on police restructuring that respects the wishes of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s citizens and fulfils the three EC principles is within reach, the High Representative and EU Special Representative, Christian Schwarz-Schilling, wrote in his weekly newspaper column.