http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/public/story_page/030-3958-071-03-11-903-20070308STO03947-2007-12-03-2007/default_en.htm
Bosnia-Herzegovina: still divided but hopes for the future External relations - 15-03-2007 - 13:20 <http://www.europarl.europa.eu/eplive/expert/photo/20070315PHT04243/pict_20070315PHT04243.jpg> Srebrenica Commemoration 2005 © EUPM 12 years on from Dayton peace accord Bosnia-Herzegovina's future still uncertain The past, present and future of Bosnia-Herzegovina came to the Parliament on Wednesday when MEPs debated a report drafted by European People's Party MEP Doris Pack. Opening the debate she called for a return of refugees, reform of the Constitution that divides the country, an end to nationalism mentalities and for Radovan Karadzic to be handed over for trial in Hague. She said that Bosnia must become a unified state "able to look after its own citizens" if it ever wanted an EU future. MEPs supported the report in a vote today. During the debate Europe's Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn told members that over the last year in Bosnia "the reform agenda stagnated and political climate turned sour, reflecting a zero-sum mentality, nationalistic rhetoric and tensions..." In the first of a series of articles we look at the place of former Yugoslav Republics and their ambitions to build closer ties with the European Union. Burden of the past: 36% of population lost to war and refugees The war in Bosnia was the bloodiest chapter in the disintegration of Yugoslavia. Between 1992 and 1995 Bosnia-Herzegovina lost 36% of its population to death or in flight as refugees. Some of the most notorious horrors included four year siege of Sarajevo and the massacre of 8000 men and boys in Srebrenica in July 1995. In the debate Philippe Morillon, now a Liberal ALDE member but in 1992 the head of UN Forces in Bosnia, spoke of the "martyred city" of Sarajevo he had entered 15 years ago. A city that had "no ghettos" until the "crazy militias" took over. Dangers of the present Since the Dayton peace accord ended the war in 1995 the country has existed as Bosnia-Herzegovina but has effectively been divided between the Bosnian-Croat Federation and the Serb Republic ("Republika Srpska"). Mrs Pack told MEPs this arrangement suited the ending of the war but was now a "dinosaur". She favours constitutional reform to unite the country. The Pack report clearly supports a potential EU future for the country. It states that the "EUs' overall policy towards BiH and the whole region of the Western Balkans is based on a clear prospect of European integration as set out in the Thessaloniki Agenda". At present there are 7000 EUFOR police and troops in the country supporting the stabilization and recovery of the country. Since 1991 the EU has also donated €2.5 billion to the country. However Bosnia-Herzegovina is a fragile entity with formerly moderate political parties return in recent elections increasingly embracing nationalist rhetoric. Future steps towards reconciliation The report is very clear on what action must be taken: it advocates steps that will help mend the psychological scars of war. These include reconciliation that would destroy segregation nationalism and reform of the educational system to help new generations overcome the past. In terms of physical healing it calls for suspected war criminals must be arrested and handed over for trial. In addition more attention must be paid to searching for people who went missing during the conflict and the re-integration of refugees. In the debate Czech Socialist MEP Libor Rouček identified the need for police reform and called it a "prerequisite of further negotiations between the EU and Bosnia". Politically MEPs want negotiations on the Stabilisation and Association Agreements (SAA) between the EU and Bosnia-Herzegovina to continue and the "Office of the High Representative" to be maintained. Finally the EU must be involved, the report says the Union "must provide strong and coordinated support to help BiH to achieve its long-term aim of European integration as quickly and thoroughly as possible". [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
