Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I am conscious that there is a significant Bosnian community in Ireland. I am always willing to meet people and discuss their concerns. I share the concern about what is not happening in Bosnia. Membership of the European Union and the process of accession is conditional on a country reaching certain standards in respect of its democracy, human rights issues and rule of law. These are critical values of the European Union on which we cannot compromise. The authorities in Bosnia-Herzegovina are aware of what they have to do to meet the standards required for European Union accession. There is a pathway, the stabilisation and association agreement, towards accession which addresses some of the economic and trading issues. The problem, however, is that sufficient progress is not being made in Bosnia on the reforms required in order for the accession process to be progressed. There are hopes that the accession of Croatia and the closer engagement with the European Union of other states in the Balkan region would encourage political leaders in Bosnia to move forward. Unfortunately, we have not seen that progress, and it is worrying. That is one of the reasons we need to have a renewed look at the European Union approach to the situation in Bosnia.

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