Schwarz-Schilling told reporters that his decision was prompted by the fact that the deadline for the city authorities to define the status of Herzegovina Television, agree on the unification of the city's two utility companies and invite applications for the posts of city government officials had expired on September 15.
The deadline had been set at the end of last month, but nothing has been done apart from the appointment of officials to the city government. Croat and Bosniak deputies in the Mostar City Council failed to reach agreement on the status of Herzegovina Television and on the unification of the two utility companies.
Schwarz-Schilling said that Winterstein's role would be to help the two sides reach political agreement on the issues, and that in case he failed, Schwarz-Schilling would make an arbitration decision that would be binding.
The High Representative said that there was a dead-end situation in Mostar and that he would not allow the city to fall into an even deeper crisis.
The newly appointed supervisor for Mostar Winterstein had already served twice in Mostar. In 1994 and 1995 he was first assistant to the then EU administrator in the city, Hans Koschnik. Winterstein also headed a special commission which drew up Mostar's statute that was proclaimed by former High Representative to Bosnia Paddy Ashdown.