In a feature in Sarajevo's Dnevni Avaz daily on Friday, Casey warned Bosnian politicians that their time was running out and that the tasks undertaken must be completed during the spring at the latest if they wanted to apply for EU membership candidate status by the summer.
If political agreements required for progress towards membership are not reached now, it will be difficult to reach them during the 2014 election campaign, which means that another two years will be lost with huge financial implications for everyone in Bosnia, Casey said, adding that Croatia would most likely receive EUR 10 billion in EU support from 2013 to 2020.
Recalling that in 2014 the world's eyes will be on Sarajevo again due to the 100th anniversary of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, which marked the beginning of World War I, Casey said it would be very important if Bosnia observed the anniversary as an EU accession candidate.
That would be a significant achievement, very stabilising for home affairs in Bosnia, and it would set an unquestionable course for the country's future, he added.
The basic requirement for applying for membership is the going into force of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement, which depends on the enforcement of the European Court of Human Rights ruling in the Sejdic-Finci case which found that Bosnia violated minorities' rights.
Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fuele warned Bosnian politicians yesterday that they must no longer delay the implementation of the ruling. He said the 2014 Bosnian elections would not be internationally recognised if held under the current discriminating provisions.
"Only once the Stabilisation and Association Agreement enters into force will the EU be in a position to support Bosnia and Herzegovina in addressing the structural shortcomings of (the) Dayton (peace agreement)," said Fuele.
The leaders of the key political parties in Bosnia committed to agreeing by the end of February at the latest on a solution to the enforcement of the Sejdic-Finci ruling, eliminating discriminating provisions from the constitution and the election law.
HDZ 1990 president Bozo Ljubic said on Thursday there was no progress on that front because Bosniak and Serb parties could not agree whether state Presidency members should be elected directly, as until now, or indirectly in parliament.
The Croat parties want the second option, believing that it would prevent outvoting. The Bosniak parties agree but want all three Presidency members to be elected that way. The Serb parties are against that, insisting on the direct election of the member from the Serb entity.
A solution has been agreed in principle for the upper house by making sure that members of national minorities are represented in it.