The Steering Board met on the level of political directors. It comprises representatives of the most influential western countries and Russia. The board concluded that the draft police reform model was acceptable and that it would provide for the establishment of a professional, depoliticised and effective police force on the state level.
A statement issued after the meeting said the establishment of police regions, which has been the biggest problem to date, must follow the principles of functionality and respect technical and operative criteria. This means that the border between the two entities will not be the border of the future police regions.
The draft agreement was adopted by the Bosnian Serb parliament earlier this week, while the state government and the parliament of the other entity, the Croat-Muslim federation, have been urged to adopt it as soon as possible so that negotiations with the European Commission could start.
The PIC Steering Board dismissed demands to revise a draft VAT model expected to go into force on January 1. The statement said Bosnia and Herzegovina must have a uniform VAT rate of 17 per cent as planned.
The Steering Board also condemned national segregation in the education system.
Reacting to the establishment of separate schools for Croat and Muslim children in Prozor/Rama and Capljina, the board concluded that this was a dangerous step backwards which damaged all Bosnian citizens and clashed with obligations stemming from Council of Europe membership and European education standards.
Considering the role of the Office of the High Representative, the PIC Steering Board said the transfer of powers to national bodies of authority would depend on the start of the EU stabilisation and association negotiations.