The European Parliament once again called for the introduction of sanctions against the President of Bosnia’s Republika Srpska (RS) entity Milorad Dodik and other "destabilizing actors" in Bosnia and Herzegovina, according to the Resolution of the European Parliament on the implementation of the common foreign and security policy of the European Union in 2023, which was adopted Thursday by a majority of votes.

With that Resolution, MPs welcome the European Commission's recommendation that accession negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina be opened as soon as the necessary level of compliance with membership criteria is achieved.

“The European Parliament encourages the country's political leaders to implement a comprehensive set of reforms, including electoral reforms, in line with the decisions of domestic and international courts to ensure the principles of equality and non-discrimination for all citizens and constituent peoples, as set out in its constitution and respecting the judgments of domestic and international courts, including all judgments of the European Court of Human Rights concerning Bosnia and Herzegovina,” the Resolution states.

“The European Parliament strongly condemns any divisive and secessionist rhetoric that further contributes to the greater vulnerability of the country and emphasizes that the status of a candidate country is an opportunity and an obligation of the elected representatives of BiH to meet the expectations of the citizens and improve the everyday life of ordinary people,” it is added in the second, complementary Resolution on foreign and defence policy, which was also adopted.

In it, the MEPs welcome the agreement on the extension of the mandate of the EU forces in the Althea operation, point out the EU's support of €20 million so far from the European Peace Aid Instrument to support the capacity building of the Armed Forces of BiH, call for the strengthening of the Althea mission “primarily by deploying additional units and resources and by ensuring a credible presence in the Brcko district” and call on the country's authorities to work on the establishment of multi-ethnic units of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina.