The non-governmental sector and the youth in BiH want quicker integration to Europe
The non-governmental organizations and the youth in Bosnia and Herzegovina wish for a quicker integration of the country to the European Union, as well as faster action of the authorities at all levels and better cooperation with them. This is the main message, i.e. the summary of ten public debates of the non-governmental sector. The debates were held throughout BiH during the last three months under the auspices of the EU Special Representative in BiH, Mr. Valentin Inzko, and Mr. Jiří Kudela, the Ambassador of the Czech Republic, the country presiding over the European Union.
On behalf of the numerous non-governmental organizations which participated in this project, the director of Association "Vesta" from Tuzla, Ms. Amra Selesković, delivered the conclusions today in Sarajevo to the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of B&H, Mr. Nikola Špirić, who promised to take dedicated action for the fulfillment of the specified goals and invited other representatives at all governmental levels in the country to do the same. The delivery of the conclusions was made in the presence of Mr. Valentin Inzko and Mr. Jiří Kudela, who supported the act wholeheartedly.
Among many of the points emphasized in the conclusions, Ms. Amra Selesković and Mr. Jasmin Jašarević, director of the non-governmental organization "Proni" from Brčko, reported that the non-governmental sector believes that the authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina should speed up the implementation of the conditions for the liberalization of the visa regime, establish an integral state economic-social council and adopt an integral energy policy, establish a Ministry of Agriculture at the state level and a fund for supporting this sector, continue the adoption of a state law on ecology and define a policy for youth employment.
The conclusions from the public debates are based on discussions among more than 700 representatives of the civil society, including non-governmental organizations, youth associations, students and young people, political parties, experts and the business community. Due to the additional participation of the relevant local authorities, the debates represented a valuable opportunity for the citizens and the authorities to jointly discuss the possibilities and the challenges of the process of EU integration. By courtesy of the local media, the effect of these events reached the wider public as well. As a result of the debates, clearer and stronger requests of the civil society that the local authorities ensure quicker progress towards EU integration were presented.
The brochure "We want more through EU integration," available on Association Vesta's website, presents the specific conclusions and recommendations from the debates that were delivered to the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of BiH.
