Speaking to reporters in Sarajevo on Tuesday before a visit to Rome, where he is to meet Italian government officials, Schwarz-Schilling said that the Office of the High Representative (OHR) should continue to exist because of the situation in Bosnia and the region.
It was previously announced that the OHR might be closed by the end of June and that its mission could be taken over by the Office of the European Union Special Representative (EUSR) with restricted powers.
There is a number of reasons for such a decision, the German politician said, explaining the recommendation that the OHR should nevertheless continue its mission.
He also said that he had no intention of asking for an extension of his term after June 30 and that he had already informed German Chancellor Angela Merkel of this.
The Sarajevo-based daily "Dnevni avaz" reported today that the most influential Western countries participating in the Peace Implementation Council had decided not to meet Schwarz-Schilling's request to extend his term in Bosnia, but to appoint "a more decisive High Representative".
The final decision on the OHR's future is expected to be adopted by the PIC at a session scheduled for late February.