European Parliament resolution of 17 December 2015 on the 20th anniversary of the Dayton Peace Agreement (2015/2979(RSP))
Date: 2015-12-17
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: Bosnia and Herzegovina, European integration, democracy, economic reform, human rights, international agreement, multiracial State, peacekeeping, political reform, social change








C_2017399EN.01017601.xml










24.11.2017   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 399/176





P8_TA(2015)0471
20th anniversary of the Dayton Peace Agreement
European Parliament resolution of 17 December 2015 on the 20th anniversary of the Dayton Peace Agreement (2015/2979(RSP))
(2017/C 399/20)

The European Parliament,






—


having regard to the Dayton Peace Agreement, its general framework and the twelve annexes thereto,










—


having regard to its resolutions of 7 July 2005 (1), 15 January 2009 (2) and 9 July 2015 (3) concerning Srebrenica,










—


having regard to the Venice Commission Opinion of 11 March 2005 on the constitutional reform in Bosnia and Herzegovina,










—


having regard to Rule 123(2) and (4) of its Rules of Procedure,










A.


whereas the Dayton Peace Agreement was signed on 14 December 1995 in Paris and put an end to the bloodiest war in Europe since the Second World War;










B.


whereas the Agreement ended the war but failed to create a functioning, self-sustainable state, and whereas the institutional set-up of the country is overly complex and has proved to be ineffective;












1.


Recalls the importance of the signing of the Dayton Peace Agreement, remembers all of the tragic victims of the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina and expresses its sincere condolences to the families of those who lost their lives;












2.


Notes with regret that, 20 years after the end of the war and the setting up of a General Framework Agreement outlining the main aspects of the peace settlement and the future shape of the country, successive governments have failed to build a fully functioning, self-sustainable state;












3.


Welcomes the results achieved with the return of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs), reconstruction and property restitution, in line with the provisions of Annex VII to the Dayton Agreement; insists on the need for full implementation of the annex and the related strategy in order to ensure a sustainable return and also fair, comprehensive and durable solutions for internally displaced persons, refugees and other war-affected persons; underlines in this regard the need for the sustainable return of Croats, Bosniaks and others into the Republika Srpska; stresses the need to make progress in improving the socio-economic integration of those who have returned; calls for better coordination of efforts at all levels and more attention to be given to the most vulnerable displaced people, including Roma and women victims of violence; notes with regret that, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross, there are still about 7 000 missing people whose fate remains unknown;












4.


Acknowledges the positive transformation that Bosnia and Herzegovina has undergone in the past 20 years, from a war-torn country emerging from war to a state aspiring for membership of the European Union;












5.


Reiterates the EU’s commitment to the European perspective and the further accession process of Bosnia and Herzegovina and of all Western Balkan countries; believes that regional cooperation and the European integration process are the best way to promote reconciliation and to overcome hatred and divisions;












6.


Calls on the authorities to use the 20th anniversary of the Dayton Peace Agreement as an incentive to move forward with the necessary reforms — especially in view of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s forthcoming EU membership application; recalls that addressing the socio-economic needs of citizens must be the priority, as well as the establishment of an effective coordination mechanism on EU matters; reiterates that it is also crucial to continue, in parallel, with constitutional and political reforms and democratisation of the political system, which will lead in the direction of ensuring true equality and democratic representation of all three constituent peoples and all the country’s citizens; underlines that all citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina must have an equal opportunity to be elected to all levels of political decision-making;












7.


Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments of the Member States, the Government and Parliament of Bosnia and Herzegovina and its entities, and the governments and parliaments of the countries of the Western Balkans.






(1)  OJ C 157 E, 6.7.2006, p. 468.

(2)  OJ C 46 E, 24.2.2010, p. 111.

(3)  Texts adopted, P8_TA(2015)0276.