Bosnia and Herzegovina has a chance to return to serious and constructive politics, High Representative and EU Special Representative Valentin Inzko told civil society activists and law-makers today.

The HR/EUSR was speaking at the opening of a meeting of Citizens for Europe in the BiH Parliament. Discussion focused on restarting BiH’s EU- reform efforts in the energy and environment sectors.

He said that forming a BiH Council of Ministers “is now manifestly a matter of the highest urgency,” and that pressure to end the delay in forming state authorities and start tackling the economic crisis “has become overwhelming.”

The HR/EUSR also noted that “citizens in every part of Bosnia and Herzegovina are frustrated and angry with leaders who have been unable to deliver solutions and are now coming forward with solutions of their own.”

He said Bosnia and Herzegovina can tap into massive EU development funds if the BiH authorities “return to the business of implementing decisions and enacting legislation as per the SAA and European Partnership agenda.”

Citizens for Europe is an initiative run under patronage of EUSR, financially supported by the Swedish International Development Agency and in cooperation with the Directorate for European Integrations BiH, through which civil society organisations in Bosnia and Herzegovina (38 so far) formulate and advocate for legislative proposals that speed up the European integration process.