VI) BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA WITHIN EUROPE
Destination Europe: Strategy towards the European institutions

1. BiH is a European country.Its citizens are Europeans.BiH's future lies in closer relations with Europe and Europe has a huge stake in BiH's well-being. The Council strongly believes that peace, economic and political reform, and stability will be reinforced in BiH by stronger links with the European institutions.

2. The Council urges BiH to make every effort to meet the entry criteria as the first step towards closer association with all of the European institutions. It pledges its assistance in helping BiH to do so. But it gives notice that the standards are high and will not be relaxed to secure admission. It is up to BiH to meet those standards. In the view of the Council there is no reason why, with sufficient effort, this should not be possible given sufficient political will. The pace of integration of BiH into European structures will be governed by its performance in implementing its Dayton obligations.

3. The Council of Europe: the Council urges the High Representative closely to monitor BiH's progress in meeting the criteria for membership of the Council of Europe. It stresses the need to ensure that BiH is in a position to meet these criteria as soon as possible, so that the High Representative is able to recommend to the Council of Europe that it decide on the issue of BiH accession. But to do so, BiH must move fast. There remains a great deal to be done. The necessary steps include:

• adoption of a Permanent Election Law;
• continued revision of legislation to ensure compliance with the European Convention on Human Rights;
• adoption of legislation to achieve a professional and independent prosecutorial and judicial system;
• full co-operation and compliance with Annex 7 in the implementation of the property laws by the authorities in both Entities;
• completion of police certification, establishment of a multi-ethnic, professional police and full compliance with UN IPTF decisions;
• continuation of reform of the media and development of media and broadcasting legislation consistent with European best practice;
• putting in place mechanisms to ensure full functioning of human rights institutions, including the enforcement of the decisions of the Human Rights Chamber and the Commission for Real Property Claims;
• full cooperation with and response to reports by the BiH Ombudsperson and Federation Ombudsmen;
• and the establishment of an RS Ombudsmen's Office in accordance with the Federation model.

4. European Union: The Council welcomes and supports the ongoing efforts by the European Union aiming at an intensification of relations between the EU and BiH, in

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