Agreement on Reform of Police Force Reached

29 April 2005

After the three-say negotiations between the representatives of 11 political parties and international community officials, held in the Vlasic mountain resort, agreement was reached on the reform of police force in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Unified police structures in B&H

According to the decisions that were agreed, the competence over the police force will be transferred from entity and cantonal, to national level. Also, the office of Director of Police will be established, with two deputies from the entities, and the financial control will be united.

The Office of the High Representative expected a political solution that would reflect the three principles of the EU: exclusive national authority over the police, with local operative control; police districts organized on the principle of operative efficiency and not political control; no political meddling in the work of the Police.

There was no agreement on the regional organization of the Police, and that issue will be discussed at a later date.

The final political agreement reached on Vlasic needs to be ratified by both entity parliaments, before the EU Advisory Working Group adopts its decision in mid-June of this year.

�The success of the discussions on this important issue means that B&H can start the negotiations on the Stabilization and Association Agreement by the end of this year�, states the OHR press statement.

Oleg Milisic, the OHR Spokesperson, said that the High Representative is very satisfied with the �successful venture�.

During the negotiations, OHR prohibited all statements for the media.

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