7th Anniversary of the Srebrenica Massacre, Response from the Commission

Parliamentary Questions

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2564/02

Submission: Anna Karamanou (PSE) to the Commission

(05 September 2002)

Subject: Women in Black – 7th Anniversary of the Srebrenica Massacre

E-2564/02GR

Answer from Mr. Patten

on behalf of the Commission

(22.10.2002)

The Commission is aware of reports according to which various groups were prohibited from traveling to Srebrenica on the anniversary of July 11, 2002, to pay tribute to the victims of the 1995 massacre. In one case, it was reported that the Republika Srpska (RS) police stopped 30-40 members of the “Women in Black” group, who had traveled from Belgrade, and prevented them from continuing to Srebrenica. According to the reports, many of the passengers on the bus did not have the necessary documents. In a similar case, both the office of the High Representative and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) expressed their concern and called on the RS government to investigate and take the necessary disciplinary measures. While SFOR contributes to maintaining a secure environment, including through patrols, it cannot provide an absolute coverage presence.

Although the Commission cannot “force” the government of RS to allow free access to such ceremonies, it can and does strongly draw attention to the responsibility of BiH and the authorities of the entities to ensure “full freedom of movement of persons… throughout the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina” (Article I.4 of the BiH Constitution). The non-implementation of this requirement, when confirmed, is noted in the annual reports on the Stabilization and Association Process and therefore has implications for the timeline of BiH’s integration into the Union structures. In this context, the Commission will also draw attention to the political and economic support for the development of the rule of law in BiH. Part of this agenda is the work of the Union’s police mission; it will further combat any irregularities. Finally, the Commission wishes to emphasize that the elimination of chauvinistic opposition to peaceful coexistence in BiH requires a shift in attitudes regarding ethnic differences. The Commission is working to convey this message through a broad range of both positive and negative incentives; however, the final eradication of this will inevitably require a great deal of time.