Maritime Society Adriatic Sea: By supporting the construction of the Pelješac Bridge, Juncker violates international law

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - European Commission (EC) President Jean-Claude Juncker stated at the beginning of the week that the European Commission will financially support the Pelješac Bridge project, as it „supports everything that is being done in Dalmatia.“

„These are important Croatian and European projects. This project in Croatia is as important as projects in Western Europe. We must not neglect the development of new member states", Juncker said in his address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

Juncker did not specify how he intends to ensure Bosnia and Herzegovina's right of access to the open sea, which is guaranteed to it by the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Croatia plans to build the bridge in the Mali Ston Bay, which would close off Bosnia and Herzegovina's only access to international waters.

The „Maritime Society Adriatic Sea“ will ask the President of the European Commission to revise his stance on the 'Pelješac Bridge' case, „because if he maintains that the EC will financially assist that project, it would be a direct violation of Bosnia and Herzegovina's international rights.“

From the Maritime Society Adriatic Sea, they pointed out to the Patria news agency that Bosnia and Herzegovina does not want the so-called 'innocent passage' to the open sea - which for Bosnia and Herzegovina means very limited possibilities and direct supervision by Croatia - but rather free passage to international waters "and all those rights that belong to a free maritime state, such as Bosnia and Herzegovina."

„Croatia can solve the issue of connecting the territory in the Mali Ston Bay by building a tunnel under the sea, but by no means by building a bridge, because that would be to the detriment of Bosnia and Herzegovina“, conclude from the Maritime Society Adriatic Sea.

The President of the European Commission is expected to travel to Bosnia and Herzegovina at the end of February.