Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-10-22-Speech-3-328"
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"en.20081022.22.3-328"2
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Mr President, Commissioner, dear Mr Rehn, Mrs Pack, ladies and gentlemen, I should like to begin by thanking Mrs Pack very much for the quality of her report and for what she just said, as it will allow me to be more brief with regard to this difficult subject.
The experience of the last accessions – and I shall conclude here – shows that the efforts made in relation to the European agenda do pay off. I would like the political leaders of Bosnia and Herzegovina to understand the following: the Stabilisation and Association Agreement provides a solid foundation and a lever for a profound commitment from this country. We will not give up helping them, but we have accomplished what it was our responsibility to accomplish. It is up to the politicians of that country to really understand what its commitments are and to fulfil them, in order to guarantee that which is the only possible route to take, namely an unbreakable commitment to closer links with the European Union.
As you know, the Council sets great store by the European perspective on the countries of the Western Balkans, as I can confirm today. This movement in favour of the European integration of the Balkans was moreover launched on the initiative of the French Presidency, which remains very supportive of this objective. The movement was launched in 2000 when the European Union, for the first time, gathered together all of these countries at the Zagreb Summit and recognised their aspiration to join the Union.
Each of the Balkan countries has such a perspective today, which guarantees the stability of the region and the development, both political and economic, of each of the countries. Moreover, this perspective has meaning, and particular meaning with regard to Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is the country of the region that – need I remind you? – has suffered the most from the conflicts resulting from the break-up of the former Yugoslavia. However, today – as you pointed out, Mrs Pack – this country is at a crossroads between adopting the European perspective that will take it as far as accession to the European Union and withdrawing into itself, on the basis of backward-looking nationalist rhetoric.
It follows that the remarkable progress made during the first quarter of 2008 has enabled the Union to take the historic decision to sign this Stabilisation and Association Agreement with Bosnia and Herzegovina. This was the sign that, with will and determination, this country’s politicians were capable of reaching a consensus and of undertaking the necessary reforms. It is this determination that the Council wished to recognise by signing this agreement in June, once the four conditions had been met. I shall remind you of these four conditions: good overall cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia; the reform of public broadcasting; the improvement of public administration; and the launch of a police reform.
The signing of the agreement and the interim agreement, in Luxembourg, on 16 June, was a particularly important stage in the relations between the Union and Bosnia and Herzegovina. This should give fresh impetus to the country’s efforts to join the European Union. It is impetus that should be capitalised on without delay.
I would remind you that the interim agreement came into force on 1 July. This is a first step, but I would say that it is not the end of the beginning! Much remains to be done. This is what we and Commissioner Rehn, who is present in this House, said to the country’s officials when we met them on the fringe of the United Nations General Assembly and during the meeting of the Troika.
In key areas of the agreement and of the European partnership, we need not only to consolidate the progress made but also, as you emphasised, Mrs Pack, to accelerate the reforms. It is extremely important that the momentum of the reforms concerning the rule of law, on compliance with democratic rules and on matters relating to the reform of the police, as well, be much stronger than it is today.
Let it not be said to us that there are problems concerning a split between the politicians and the public in Bosnia and Herzegovina, because all the surveys show that the European aspirations of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s population are extremely strong. Over 80% of this population genuinely want to join the European Union! What is it that is stopping Bosnia and Herzegovina’s politicians from responding to the legitimate aspirations of the country’s people?
For our part, within the context of the Union, we are doing what we can to support this country economically and financially, to help it to advance, to help it to progress on the road to security, and to help it to progress on the road to modernising the police force with the police missions we have put in place, together with the military missions."@en1
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