BRUSSELS – The European Parliament an amendment by three lawmakers in its annual report on the Foreign Affairs Committee calling for sanctions against BiH Presidency member Milorad Dodik, N1 reported. The amendment was submitted by MEPs Tonino Picula, Pedro Marques, and Thijs Reuten.
The amendment strongly condemns the unconstitutional secessionist measures of Republika Srpska authorities, which aim to establish parallel institutions in the fields of medicine and medical devices, justice, defense, security, and taxation.
The amendment also condemns the influence of external actors on the stability of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Russia’s interference in the country’s internal affairs.
Authorities from Republika Srpska sent today a document to the European institutions in Brussels stating that this entity is returning competencies given to it by the BiH Constitution in the parliamentary procedure, but that this is not a step towards secession from Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“Republika Srpska acts respecting the territorial integrity of BiH, and the process of regaining jurisdiction is not a step towards secession”, the documents said, N1 reported.
To document stated that the Republika Srpska “respects the Dayton Peace Agreement and restores constitutional competencies through the legal process, which is not a step towards secession from Bosnia and Herzegovina”. The document pointed out that the BiH Constitution stipulates that all powers which are not explicitly prescribed by BiH institutions belong to the entities.
A session of the EU Council of Foreign Minister will be held in Brussels on 21 February. Radio Free Europe published a document from European Exetrnal Action Service (EEAS) in which sanctions are mentioned as last option. According to RFE, document will be presented to the ministers at the meeting on 21 February, after which member states will give an opinion on how to further approach the situation in BiH.