The European Union Police Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina (EUPM) was the European Union's mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina that aided the local police organizations, and was one of a number of European Union Police Missions worldwide. It was the first such mission undertaken by the EU within the framework of the Common Foreign and Security Policy. The EUPM was the successor to the United Nations International Police Task Force (part of the United Nations Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina) in Bosnia, whose term ended at the end of 2002.
The EUPM acted under co-ordination of the European Union Special Representative, who also served as High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The mission was ended on 30 June 2012. [1]
The EUPM aimed to help in establishing a sustainable, professional and multi-ethnic police force. It assisted the local police, fighting large-scale organised crime and helping with police reform.
EUPM, the first mission launched under the Common Security and Defence Policy, was launched on 1 January 2003 for an initial period of three years. Following an invitation by the Bosnian authorities, the EU decided to establish a follow-on police mission with a modified mandate and size. EUPM II lasted for two years (from 1 January 2006 until 31 December 2007). It monitored, advised and inspected BiH police forces according to three main pillars, i.e. support to the police reform process, strengthening of police accountability and supporting the fight against organised crime.
At the end of 2007 the EU Police Mission was extended for another two years (from 1 January 2008 to 31 December 2009). During those two years, the mission continued its work with regard to the three same pillars, with particular emphasis on the fight against organised crime. EUPM also devoted particular attention to reinforcing cooperation between police and prosecutors.
The United Nations Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina (UNMIBH) was an international organization formed under the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1035 on 21 December 1995. It completed its mandate on 31 December 2002, when it was succeeded by the European Union Police Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) is the organised, agreed foreign policy of the European Union (EU) for mainly security and defence diplomacy and actions. CFSP deals only with a specific part of the EU's external relations, which domains include mainly Trade and Commercial Policy and other areas such as funding to third countries, etc. Decisions require unanimity among member states in the Council of the European Union, but once agreed, certain aspects can be further decided by qualified majority voting. Foreign policy is chaired and represented by the EU's High Representative, currently Josep Borrell.
Zlatko Lagumdžija is a Bosnian former politician who served as the 4th Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina from 2001 to 2002. He also served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2001 to 2002 and again from 2012 to 2015. He was the president of the Social Democratic Party from 1997 until 2014.
The Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) is the European Union's (EU) course of action in the fields of defence and crisis management, and a main component of the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP).
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The High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, together with the Office of the High Representative (OHR) in Bosnia and Herzegovina, were created in 1995 immediately after the signing of the Dayton Agreement which ended the 1992–1995 Bosnian War. The purpose of the High Representative and the OHR is to oversee the civilian implementation of the Dayton agreement. They also serve to represent the countries involved in the implementation of the Dayton Agreement through the Peace Implementation Council (PIC), which chooses the High Representative.
The Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina was amended once, in 2009, to include the outcome of the Brčko District final award. Several constitutional reforms were attempted between 2006 and 2014, to ensure it compliance with the case law of the European Convention on Human Rights in the Sejdić and Finci v. Bosnia and Herzegovina and following cases regarding ethnic- and residence-based discrimination in passive electoral rights for the Presidency and House of Peoples. None of these attempts have been successful so far, notwithstanding EU involvement and conditionality.
The accession of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the European Union is the stated aim of the present relations between the two entities. Bosnia and Herzegovina has been recognised by the EU as a "candidate country" for accession since the decision of the European Council in 2022 and is on the current agenda for future enlargement of the EU. Bosnia and Herzegovina takes part in the Stabilisation and Association Process and trade relations are regulated by an Interim Agreement.
Law enforcement in Bosnia and Herzegovina is the responsibility of an EU-sponsored Bosnia police force to which the role of maintaining security in the region was handed over from the United Nations's 1,800 strong International Police Task Force. Since 1 January 2003 the European Union Police Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina (EUPM) was tasked with creating a new stable police force for Bosnia and Herzegovina, however this has been met with limited success. Outlined by the EUPM, the new Bosnian Police force would have the responsibility of fighting migrant smuggling, customs evasions as well as dealing with the tensions raised by the return of refugees.
Miroslav Lajčák is a Slovak politician and diplomat, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Slovak Republic. In addition, Lajčak also served as President of the United Nations General Assembly for the 72nd session from 2017 until 2018.
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The State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) is the official state police agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina. SIPA is under the direct administration of the Ministry of Security of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Essentially, it is Bosnia and Herzegovina's equivalent to the American FBI or the Russian Investigative Committee.
United Nations Security Council resolution 1168, adopted unanimously on 21 May 1998, after recalling resolutions 1031 (1995), 1035 (1995), 1088 (1996), 1103 (1997), 1107 (1997) and 1144 (1997), the Council strengthened the International Police Task Force (IPTF) in Bosnia and Herzegovina by up to 30 posts to a total strength of 2,057.
In United Nations Security Council resolution 1396, adopted unanimously on 5 March 2002, after recalling resolutions 1031 (1995), 1088 (1996), 1112 (1997), 1256 (1999) and 1357 (2001) on the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Council welcomed the acceptance by the Steering Board of the Peace Implementation Council on 28 February 2002 of the offer of the European Union to provide a European Union Police Mission (EUPM) to succeed the United Nations Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina (UNMIBH) from 1 January 2003.
United Nations Security Council resolution 1551, adopted unanimously on 9 July 2004, after recalling previous resolutions on the conflicts in the former Yugoslavia, including resolutions 1031 (1995), 1088 (1996), 1423 (2002) and 1491 (2003), the council extended the mandate of the Stabilisation Force (SFOR) in Bosnia and Herzegovina for a further period of six months and welcomed the deployment of EUFOR Althea at the end of the SFOR's mandate.
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European Union Advisory Mission Ukraine is a civilian Common Security & Defence Policy (CSDP) mission of the European Union. It aims to assist Ukrainian authorities to reform civilian security sector. It provides strategic advice and practical support to make Ukrainian civilian security sector more effective, efficient, transparent and enjoying public trust. EUAM Ukraine works with a number of law enforcement and rule of law institutions of Ukraine, and it formally began operation on 1 December 2014, following Ukrainian Government's request.