EU divided over new approach towards BiH!

The Council of the European Union will discuss a new approach towards BiH next week, but no document or conclusions will be adopted, the BiH news agency Patria (NAP) has learned from well-informed diplomatic sources in Brussels.

Baroness Catherine Ashton, the EU High Representative for Foreign Policy, who visited Sarajevo yesterday, will inform the foreign ministers of the member states about her talks and the preparation of a new approach at that meeting on March 17. A discussion will also take place, but nothing more than that.

As NAP has learned, the adoption of a new approach is still far off. Sources from Brussels state that member states are divided over the idea of changing the EU's relationship with BiH and adopting a special regime for the country plagued by Dayton concerns.

- There is a set of countries that strongly support a new approach. Among them, Slovenia is perhaps the strongest advocate. It is supported by some other countries from the region and generally by those who are in favor of enlargement. On the other hand, there is, admittedly, a slightly smaller group of countries that oppose it, led by the usual suspects, the Netherlands and Belgium – says NAP's source.

Their argument against the proposal initiated by the European Commission after the failure of the last negotiations on the ruling in the Sejdić-Finci case is that there is no reason to change the rules for Bosnia and Herzegovina, and that domestic politicians should be pressured more strongly to achieve an effect similar to fulfilling the conditions for visa liberalization.

- That group of countries is strongly against it, and it is quite certain that a new approach will not be adopted quickly, if at all – say sources from EU institutions.

The key problem is that, as we have been told, the major players in the EU, primarily Germany, have not yet expressed their stance.

- Berlin is reserved and is waiting to see what this idea of a new approach will concretely bring. Great Britain is a big unknown. They have recently insisted on sanctions, blocking IPA funds as the only real instrument. France has also not yet declared itself – say European diplomats.

As announced by the European Commission, and as Ashton stated, the new approach would focus on the economy, and would revive BiH-EU relations despite the non-fulfillment of key conditions, primarily the "Sejdić-Finci" issue.