The Bureau of the Congress

CG/BUR18(2018)151 21 March 2018

Congress Reflection Group on Mostar / Western

Document submitted for approval to the Bureau of the Congress on 26 March 2018

1 This document is classified as confidential until it has been examined by the Bureau of the Congress.

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CG/BUR18(2018)15

Congress Reflection Group on Mostar / Western Balkans

Background information

In October it will be 10 years since the last local elections were held in the City of Mostar, in Southern Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). In the absence of an elected City Council since 2012, Mostar is currently administered by the Acting Mayor Ljubo BEŠLIĆ.

Due to this untenable situation, the Congress, at its October 2017 Session, decided to create a Reflection Group dedicated to this problem. The composition of the Group as well as a visit to Mostar (1st week of July, date tbc) will be submitted for approval to the Bureau of the Congress on 26 March 2018.

A representative of the Congress Reflection Group has been invited to participate in a meeting of the Working group on the Western Balkans, established by the EU Committee of the Regions and chaired by Franz Schausberger, scheduled for 3 May 2018 in Brussels.

The Reflection Group aims at:

- advocating, at local and European level, in favour of a sustainable legal and political solution to restore local democracy in the City of Mostar; - bringing together major local and European stakeholders to dialogue in order to gradually overcome the obstacles for holding local elections in Mostar; - supporting local civil society organisations in their efforts to raise awareness about the current political situation and peaceful inter-ethnic relations among local communities.

It will exchange views with local stakeholders in Mostar, including local authorities (the acting Mayor and the Head of Finances in the City Administration), political parties represented in the City Council before the expiration of their mandates, civil society organisations (notably the coalition “Elect Mostar” and the Local Democracy Agency).

Further activities foreseen by the Congress in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2018:

- Observation of the regional elections scheduled for 7 October 2018 (pending an invitation from the authorities): elections to the House of Peoples of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and to the National Assembly of Republika Srpska. - Monitoring of local and regional democracy in Bosnia and Herzegovina (autumn 2018, tbc) Rapporteurs: Carla DEJONGHE, (R, ILDG), and Lelia HUNZIKER, Switzerland (L, SOC).

Previous Congress activities:

- Round-table on the situation of Mostar in the framework of the 33rd Session of the Congress (Chamber of Local Authorities, 19 October 2017) - Visit in the framework of the Congress Post-electoral dialogue in BiH (May 2017) - Observation of the local elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina (2 October 2016) - Post-monitoring of local and regional democracy in Bosnia and Herzegovina (2014) - Monitoring of local and regional democracy in Bosnia and Herzegovina (2012).

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CG/BUR18(2018)15

Draft composition of the Group

Full members:

- Anders KNAPE, Sweden (L, EPP/CCE) – Congress President of the Chamber of Local Authorities of the Congress

- Piero FASSINO, Italy (L, SOC) – Congress President of the SOC Group

- Stewart DICKSON, United Kingdom (R, ILDG) – Congress Thematic Spokesperson on Observation of Local and Regional Elections Rapporteur, 2016 election observation mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH)

- Franz SCHAUSBERGER, (EPP) – European Committee of the Regions President of the EU Committee of the Regions Working group on the Western Balkans

Supplementary members:

- Jos WIENEN, Netherlands (L, EPP/CCE) – Congress Thematic Spokesperson on observation of local and regional elections

- Barbara TOCE, Italy (L, SOC) – Congress Vice-President of the Congress

- Carla DEJONGHE, Belgium (R, ILDG) – Congress Rapporteur, 2018 monitoring mission on local and regional democracy to BiH

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