The European Commission hosted the ceremony for the signing of the Protocol on Cooperation in Prosecution of Perpetrators of War Crimes, Crimes against Humanity and Genocide between the Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the War Crimes Prosecutor’s Office of Serbia.
Yesterday, Thursday 31 January, the Director General for Enlargement, Mr Stefano Sannino hosted the talks of the heads of the Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the War Crimes Prosecutor’s Office of Serbia, who sealed a protocol on exchange of information and evidence in war crimes cases.
Mr. Sannino warmly welcomed the conclusion of the talks on the document and emphasised that its entry into force is an important concrete development, which is expected to further consolidate the already regular and productive contacts that the two Prosecutors’ offices have maintained thus far.
The finalisation of this agreement also represents the fulfilment of a recommendation from the EU-Bosnia and Herzegovina Structured Dialogue on Justice. The Commission services commended the personal contribution of the prosecutors involved to achieving this success. This protocol should ensure that war crimes suspects who are using existing legal means to escape justice are brought before the law and sentenced, if found guilty. This protocol also represents a major step for the strengthening of regional cooperation in dealing with war crimes cases and the definition of concrete parameters that help the process of reconciliation in the Balkans.
