Statement by Commissioner Štefan Füle and Secretary General of the Council of Europe Thorbjørn Jagland on the Road Map for Bosnia and Herzegovina’s EU membership application and the execution of the European Court of Human Rights’ “Sejdić and Finci”- judgment

“The Council of Europe and the European Commission note with great disappointment that the institutional and political leaders of Bosnia and Herzegovina missed the first timeline for implementing the Road Map and did not submit their joint proposal on the basis of political agreement to the Parliamentary Assembly for making the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina compliant with the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (“Sejdić and Finci” judgment) by 31 August, as they agreed at a meeting in Brussels on 27 June.

“The EU Road Map remains valid. The objectives will not change, and the Sejdić and Finci”- judgment has to be executed.”

“The European Union and the Council of Europe call on the leaders of Bosnia and Herzegovina to uphold their responsibilities and work together to implement the judgment of the Strasbourg Court (ECHR), fulfil the country’s commitments to the Council of Europe and move the EU integration agenda forward.”

“Faced with a number of disparate proposals, we regret that it appears that these issues are given a lower priority by Bosnia and Herzegovina‘s leaders than political rivalries. The citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina deserve better. “