“The Steering Board Ambassadors meeting today reiterated that negotiations on police reform need to conclude before BiH can begin negotiations with the EU for an SAA. Time is fast running for BiH to be able to achieve this ambition by the 10th Anniversary of Dayton.
The SBA expressed disappointment that the Institutional Negotiations have so far not been able to reach an agreement on police restructuring that meets the three principles set out by the European Commission. They noted that the European Commission has on numerous occasions re-iterated the three principles according to which the BiH authorities are expected to reach an agreement on police reform. Namely: that exclusive competencies for police legislation and budget must be placed at the State level, that regional police areas must be recast on the basis of functional policing criteria, and that police must be free from political interference.
The Ambassadors urged the RS representatives to show the necessary flexibility when negotiations resume on Monday 12 September in order to reach an agreement that respects these principles. Failure to do so will have the result of blocking Bosnia and Herzegovina ‘s road to the European Union”, they said.