EU COUNCIL PERSPECTIVE ON BOSNIA REFORMS

S E C R E T BRUSSELS 005226 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/10/2014 TAGS: PREL PGOV EAID MARR BK EUN USEU BRUSSELS SUBJECT: EU COUNCIL PERSPECTIVE ON BOSNIA REFORMS REF: A. STATE 257395 ¶B. STATE 257497 ¶C. SARAJEVO 3182 ¶D. SARAJEVO 3197 Classified By: Rick Holtzapple, PolOff, Reasons 1.4 (B/D) ¶1. (C) PolOff has discussed the texts of Secretary Powell's letters (REFS A and B) to High Rep Solana about Bosnia-Herzegovina with Stefan Lehne, Solana's key Balkan policy advisor. Lehne said that Solana's understanding of the situation and way forward in Bosnia-Herzegovina was generally in line with the themes of the letters, but not quite as clear-cut as we had presented it. ¶2. (C) The EU agreed that both police and defense reform were needed, as suggested in ref B. But from Lehne's perspective, the specifics of what needed to be done were clearest in the field of defense reform, which he noted was largely an issue for NATO, rather than the EU. He said in this area his impression was that the "details are all there, it is only a question of the pace." But on police reform, while progress on this is clearly one of the EU's 16 preconditions for beginning negotiations on a Stabilization and Association Agreement with B-H, it is not as clear that this must lead to a single structure. (We note that Lehne's view is at odds with the EU position as described in REF D). The EU was "cautiously positive" regarding progress in this field, but the necessary final outcome of police reform "is not completely defined." ¶3. (S) Lehne also expressed some caution about ref A's reference to "measures to target those in the Republika Srpska government who are most responsible for obstructing ICTY cooperation." He did not argue that it was the wrong way to go, but said he was not sure that High Rep Ashdown was as intent on going after a broad swathe of SDS and PDP leadership as the US seemed to be suggesting. COMMENT -------------- ¶4. (S) Lehne, of course, does not have final say about what actions the EU might take against Republika Srpska officials -- such a decision would have to be taken by EU Member States in the Council. But his reaction does not give us much optimism that the EU would be prepared to follow the US lead in imposing measures against a list of any length without a lot of heavy lifting from Ashdown's side. SCOTT