(1)

On 19 January 2015, the Council adopted Decision (CFSP) 2015/77 (1) appointing Mr Lars-Gunnar WIGEMARK as the European Union Special Representative (EUSR) in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The EUSR's mandate is to expire on 30 June 2018.

(2)

The EUSR's mandate should be extended for a further period of 14 months.

(3)

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

(a)

offer the Union's advice and facilitate the political process, in particular with the promotion of dialogue between the different levels of government;

(b)

ensure consistency and coherence of Union action;

(c)

facilitate progress on political, economic and Union priorities, in particular by encouraging further work on the coordination mechanism on Union matters and the continued implementation of the Reform Agenda;

(d)

support domestic efforts in line with European standards to ensure that election results can be implemented;

(e)

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;

(f)

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, corruption and terrorism and, in that context, provide the HR and the Commission with assessments and advice as necessary;

(g)

provide support for a reinforced and more effective interface between criminal justice and the police in BiH, as well as for initiatives which aim to strengthen the efficiency and impartiality of the judicial institutions, in particular the Structured Dialogue on Justice;

(h)

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, and on 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 and coordinate regarding coherent messages to local authorities and other international organisations; contribute to the consultations on the Strategic Review of EUFOR/ALTHEA;

(i)

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

(j)

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

(k)

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

(l)

engage with relevant BiH authorities with regard to their full cooperation with the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals;

(m)

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

(n)

maintain close contacts and close consultations with the High Representative in BiH and other relevant international organisations working in the country; in that context, inform the Council about discussions on the ground regarding the international presence in the country, including the Office of the High Representative;

(o)

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;

(p)

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 specific security plan based on guidance from the EEAS, including specific physical, organisational and procedural security measures, governing the management of the secure movement of personnel to, and within, the area of responsibility, as well as management of security incidents and providing for a 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 area of responsibility;

(c)

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

(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 progress report and the report on the implementation of the mandate.