Reconstruction of the former Yugoslavia

The committee adopted the report by Mr José Maria MENDILUCE. The international community, and the European Union in particular, should act on this basis: "this is the biggest foreign and security policy challenge for the EU", added the rapporteur. All economic, political and humanitarian efforts might be wasted "due to insufficient funding or ... by an early withdrawal of IFOR", whose presence should be guaranteed "for as long as required, on the basis of an agreement between all the participating forces, in particularly the countries of European Union and the United States". As for the EU's role in economic construction, this should depend on: - respect for the rule of law, human rights and the rights of minorities; - voluntary return of refugees and displaced persons; - release of all prisoners and full cooperation with the International War Crimes Tribunal; - freedom of movement for persons, especially in Bosnia-Herzegovina. These conditions should help to reconcile and rebuild coexistence among the various ethnic and religious groups, meaning that efforts would need to "go far beyond the date to which IFOR deployment has been agreed upon". The role of NGOs therefore needed to be increased.�