(1)

On 11 March 2009 the Council adopted Joint Action 2009/181/CFSP (1) appointing Mr Valentin INZKO European Union Special Representative (EUSR) in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

(2)

On 11 August 2010 the Council adopted Decision 2010/442/CFSP (2) extending the mandate of the EUSR in Bosnia and Herzegovina until 31 August 2011.

(3)

Mr Peter SØRENSEN should be appointed EUSR in Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1 September 2011 to 30 June 2015.

(4)

On 21 March 2011 the Council adopted conclusions setting out the Union’s overall approach to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

(5)

The Union is further strengthening its policy and its presence on the ground through a single, reinforced Union representative who will take a lead in supporting Bosnia and Herzegovina on Union-related matters to support the country’s progress towards integration with the Union including through a broad and balanced set of instruments.

(6)

The EUSR’s mandate should be implemented in coordination with the European Commission in order to ensure consistency with other relevant activities falling within the competence of the Union.

(7)

The Council foresees that the powers and authorities of the EUSR and the powers and authorities of the Head of the European Union Delegation Office in Bosnia and Herzegovina will be vested in the same person.

(8)

The EUSR will implement his mandate in the context of a situation which may deteriorate and could impede the achievement of the objectives of the Union’s external action set out in Article 21 of the Treaty,

(a)

offer the Union’s advice and facilitate the political process;

(b)

ensure consistency and coherence of Union action;

(c)

facilitate progress on political, economic and European priorities;

(d)

monitor and advise the executive and legislative authorities at all levels of government in BiH, and liaise with the authorities and political parties in BiH;

(e)

ensure the implementation of the Union’s efforts in the whole range of activities in the field of the rule of law and the security sector reform, promote overall Union coordination of, and give local political direction to Union efforts in tackling organised crime and corruption and, in this context, provide the HR and the Commission with assessments and advice as necessary;

(f)

provide the Head of Mission of the European Union Police Mission (EUPM) with local political guidance; the EUSR and the Civilian Operation Commander shall consult each other as required; consult with the Head of the EUPM before taking political action that may have an impact on the police and security situation; provide support for a reinforced and more effective interface between criminal justice and the police in BiH, in close liaison with the EUPM;

(g)

without prejudice to the military chain of command, offer the EU Force Commander political guidance on military issues with a local political dimension, in particular concerning sensitive operations, relations with local authorities and with the local media. Consult with the EU Force Commander before taking political action that may have an impact on the security situation;

(h)

coordinate and implement the Union’s communication efforts on Union issues towards the public in BiH;

(i)

promote the process of integration with the Union through targeted public diplomacy and Union outreach activities designed to ensure a broader understanding and support from the BiH public on matters relating to the Union, including by means of engagement of local civil-society actors;

(j)

contribute to the development and consolidation of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in BiH, in accordance with the Union’s human rights policy and the Union Guidelines on Human Rights;

(k)

engage with relevant BiH authorities on their full cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY);

(l)

in line with the Union integration process, advise, assist, facilitate and monitor political dialogue on the necessary constitutional changes;

(m)

maintain close contacts and consultations with the High Representative in BiH and other relevant international organisations working in the country;

(n)

provide advice to the HR as necessary concerning natural or legal persons on whom restrictive measures could be imposed in view of the situation in BiH;

(o)

without prejudice to the applicable chains of command, help to ensure that all Union instruments in the field are applied coherently to attain the Union’s policy objectives.

(a)

establishing a mission-specific security plan, including mission-specific physical, organisational and procedural security measures, governing the management of the secure movement of personnel to, and within, the mission area, as well as the management of security incidents and including a mission contingency and evacuation plan;

(b)

ensuring that all personnel deployed outside the Union are covered by high risk insurance as required by the conditions in the mission area;

(c)

ensuring that all members of his team to be deployed outside the Union, including locally contracted personnel, have received appropriate security training before or upon arriving in the mission area, based on the risk ratings assigned to the mission area;

(d)

ensuring that all agreed recommendations made following regular security assessments are implemented, and providing the Council, the HR and the Commission with written reports on their implementation and on other security issues within the framework of the mid-term report and the report on the implementation of the mandate.