GAERC - Council Conclusions on Western Balkans

The Council adopted the following conclusions:

"The Council urged the authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina decisively to implement all the reforms needed for the opening of negotiations on a Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the EU.

The Council resolutely supports the measures which were taken on 16 December 2004 by the High Representative and EU Special Representative, Lord Ashdown, and backed up by effective action by EUFOR/ALTHEA. These targeted measures were intended to help ensure that Bosnia and Herzegovina cooperates fully with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). To that end, the Council has decided to extend the measures to prevent the entry into or transit through EU territory of persons supporting ICTY-indictees to include 9 persons also targeted by the measures taken by HR/EUSR Ashdown.

The Council recalled that full cooperation with the ICTY, in particular by the Republika Srpska, was an essential requirement for Bosnia and Herzegovina's progress towards the EU, to which the EU remains committed. The Council therefore welcomed the voluntary surrender to and transfer by the Republika Srpska authorities of indictee Todovic as an important first step in the process of arresting and transferring all indicted persons who continue to evade international justice.

Recalling its conclusions of October 2004, the Council reaffirmed the need for the region to intensify its efforts to bring before the ICTY Mr. Karadzic, Mr. Mladic and Mr. Gotovina, and all other indictees at large. Full and unconditional cooperation with the ICTY remains an essential requirement for further movement towards the EU."

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• EU Council Conclusions on Western Balkans (3/10/2005)
• EU Council Conclusions on Western Balkans (13/6/2005)
• Council conclusions on the Western Balkans (25/4/2005)