Why should membership of the European Union matter to you?
When Bosnia and Herzegovina signed the Stabilisation and Association Agreement on 16 June 2008, it began a process that involves thousands of reforms – a process that will finish in full membership of the European Union.
The objective is to prepare a country of four million people for the challenges and opportunities of belonging to a political and economic community of 500 million people.
EU membership means, among other things, that BiH citizens will be able to travel and work, go to school or university, and have access to medical treatment and other services anywhere in the Union. It also means that BiH representatives will take part in all the decisions made by the EU.
Preparing for this is not simply a matter of reforms – though that’s an important element – it means embracing a whole series of democratic values. It means, in effect, the complete transformation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Among the key areas are:
Political: modernising the governance system to make it more efficient; and satisfying the ICTY that institutions of BiH are cooperating fully in securing justice for victims of war crimes;
Economic: developing the single economic space, keeping inflation under control, maintaining a manageable budget deficit, and achieving overall stability;
Legal: making the court system faster and fairer, ensuring that judges are independent, and embedding the rule of law in national life;
Administrative: developing the civil service so that it can implement EU directives, EU programmes and EU law.
The EU does not expect Bosnia and Herzegovina to complete this transformation unaided. Far from it – the EU is helping this country every step of the way, to the tune of almost 100 million Euro annually through its Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA). This is in addition to the military, political and technical personnel deployed in the country to help implement Dayton and to bring about economic and political recovery through the prospect of European integration.
EU Outreach Programme – 2010/2011
The massive reform process laid out in the European Partnership and the Stabilisation and Association Agreement will only succeed if the whole of society is involved, not just politicians and government officials, but also NGOs, workers, employers, entrepreneurs, youth groups, media and others.
The EU Outreach Programme is designed to facilitate a broader and deeper debate on EU integration. It focuses on the security, stability and prosperity that integration will bring and the potentials of local advocacy.
The Outreach Programme has been coordinated with all EU actors on the ground, in particular the EU Delegation and the embassies of the EU Member States, and with non-EU stakeholders who are active in the field of EU integration – and it is being conducted in full association with BiH partners, including the Directorate for European Integration and NGOs.
The first phase of the Programme was launched in the spring of 2008, spearheaded by 17 open meetings at which the EUSR and other EU officials debated issues with more than 3,000 citizens throughout the country.
The second phase began after the municipal elections of October 2008, targeting key groups and stakeholders, from parliamentarians to NGOs, trade unions and the media.
In the autumn of 2009, the third phase got underway. Some of the elements are described below.
Parliament for Europe
The “Parliament for Europe” initiative brings EU representatives and experts together with BiH parliamentarians at every level to discuss the most effective ways of meeting the EU accession requirements. The second round of the “Parliament for Europe” currently engages 32 parliamentarians in monthly sessions on topics such as the role of parliament in the accession process, the reform of public administration, protection of human rights and rights of minorities, the fight against corruption, the implications and opportunities of the internal market, the European Partnership priorities, and EU policies such as SMEs, agriculture, energy and transport.
EU in the Media
The EUSR is co-operating closely with newspaper publishers and the three main public broadcasters to improve and increase media coverage of EU issues. Reporting on EU issues has risen significantly as a direct result of this initiative. Talk shows and televised debates have been broadcast and reports have been placed in prime-time news bulletins, and EU stories have featured prominently in newspapers. The EUSR is going to expand this initiative as to cover a BiH wide network of local radio stations. A core group of journalists is involved in the project, following EU affairs and producing EU-related reports from BiH and neighbouring countries and from the EU. In the process, the journalists have been able to increase their knowledge and understanding of EU issues, preparing them to be future EU correspondents.
EU Newsletter
The EUSR publishes an electronic newsletter Reci.ba glasnik, summarising the main news on the EU and BiH’s relations with the EU. Since only one BiH media outlet has a permanent correspondent in Brussels, the newsletter fills an important gap by providing relevant and timely information on EU affairs. The newsletter is distributed every Friday to media outlets, government bodies, civil society actors, and individual subscribers.
www.reci.ba
In an effort to appeal to young people, in February 2008 the EUSR launched the website www.reci.ba (“reci” translates as “say it”). Originally designed to provide information about EU Outreach activities, the website has continued to serve as a useful tool to foster discussion of EU issues among BiH citizens, beyond the reach of traditional electronic and printed media. Uniquely, the site has made it possible for the EU Special Representative to respond in person to issues raised by BiH citizens. To date, the EUSR has given close to 180 answers to citizens’ questions. Many of the EUSR’s replies have been taken up by mass media as news items. The site has received some 100,000 visits, with close to 8,000 comments submitted by the public.
Citizens for Europe and civil society
Under EUSR patronage and with the financial support of SIDA, over 30 civil society organizations are taking part in the “Citizens for Europe” network, which is designed to boost public discussion of EU integration issues in BiH. Direct dialogue between citizens and political parties is being facilitated through open sessions organized in advance of the October 2010 elections, on EU integration priorities such as those affecting energy and environment, economic policy and employment, agriculture and rural development, education as well as anti-corruption. During 2010, the EU Special Representative will personally visit municipalities throughout the country to discuss EU integration issues with citizens and political activists.