Presidency of BiH officially committed to reforms

The Presidency of BiH today adopted and harmonized the Draft text of a joint statement on the commitment of political leaders in BiH to undertake necessary reforms within the process of accession of BiH to the European Union, reports the BiH news agency Patria.

The Draft text of the joint statement accepts the conclusions of the Council of the European Union for Foreign Affairs, and the statement has been forwarded to the leaders of parliamentary political parties in BiH.

Draft statement on accepting the conclusions of the Council of the European Union for Foreign Affairs:

- Based on the expressed will of all peoples and citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina,

committed to the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political independence of Bosnia and Herzegovina, aware of the complex socio-economic situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, committed to the principles, values, and goals on which the European Union is based, confirming that membership in the European Union is a strategic goal of Bosnia and Herzegovina, welcoming the renewed approach of the European Union to Bosnia and Herzegovina, and in accordance with the conclusions of the Council of the European Union for Foreign Affairs of December 15, 2014, we, the undersigned, declare that we agree and irrevocably commit:

1.       The authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina will implement all reforms necessary to establish institutional functionality and efficiency at all levels of government, and enable Bosnia and Herzegovina to prepare for future membership in the European Union as a sovereign state that meets the conditions and obligations for membership in the European Union. The authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina will include in their work programs the reforms necessary for the progress of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the accession process to the European Union and will prioritize the timely implementation of these reforms in their work.

2.       The authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in agreement with the European Union and in accordance with the Copenhagen criteria and the acquis communautaire of the European Union, will prepare and implement a program of measurable initial reform measures, including:

a) economic and social measures based on the Agreement for Growth and Employment in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which will aim to stop negative economic trends, initiate the process of rehabilitation and modernization of the economy, stimulate sustainable, efficient, socially just, and balanced economic development, create new jobs, increase and properly direct social protection, and create a favorable and just social environment. Concrete measures will be prepared and implemented in agreement and cooperation with socio-economic partners, civil society, the European Union, and international financial institutions;

b) measures for building a functional market economy;

c) measures to strengthen the rule of law, especially the efficiency of rule of law institutions in the fight against corruption and organized crime and ensuring full legal certainty for every natural and legal person in Bosnia and Herzegovina;

d) measures to accelerate the process of reconciliation and restore damaged trust;

e) measures to strengthen administrative capacity, improve the functionality, and increase the efficiency of institutions at all levels of government for the adoption and implementation of the acquis communautaire of the European Union and other obligations for membership in the European Union, including the establishment of an effective and efficient coordination mechanism of institutions at all levels of government in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the accession process to the European Union.

3. The authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina will, in a later phase (after initial reform measures), make progress in implementing additional reforms to improve the functionality and increase the efficiency of all levels of government in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and pay special attention to the implementation of the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights in the case of „Sejdić-Finci v. Bosnia and Herzegovina.