If Bosnia and Herzegovina wants to join the European Union it will have to change its present Constitution, said the European Enlargement Commissioners Stefan Fuele.
Fuele said that one will be able to talk about the scale of constitutional changes that Bosnia must implement once a solution is reached for the already outstanding issues, such as the implementation of the ruling handed down by the European Court of Human Rights in the Sejdic-Finci case, adding however that it was clear that changes would be necessary already during the process of Bosnia’s EU admission.
This is necessary so that Bosnia’s legal system could fit in the EU legal order, Fuele said.
He confirmed that Brussels expected politicians in Bosnia to resolve the issue of the Sejdic-Finci ruling on their own, as they had failed to do so with the mediation of the European Union.
Discriminating members of national minorities in the election process in Bosnia and Herzegovina represents a violation of international commitments this country has and until this is resolved, the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with the European Union cannot go into force, Fuele said.
Asked about the EU’s new strategy for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Fuele said it had three directions. One will be aimed at strengthening economic reforms in Bosnia, another will be aimed at accelerating the implementation of projects in Bosnia financed by the bloc and third will be the continuation of dialogue about the judiciary reform, Fuele explained.
