B3-0053, 0090, 0098, 0111 and 0132/94

Resolution on the continuing war in Bosnia-Herzegovina

The European Parliament,

A.having regard to the desperate condition of the people in Bosnia-Herzegovina and their belief that they have been betrayed by the failure to ensure respect for the minimum standards of international law,

B.having regard to the fact that a large proportion of the population of Bosnia-Herzegovina is still maintaining a multi-ethnic society,

C.having regard to the continuing attacks against the civilian population and the frequent interruptions of the supply of humanitarian aid,

D.having regard to the isolation by blockade and siege of towns and large areas,

E.having regard to the dissatisfaction of the UNPROFOR troops and their commanders, as expressed by General Briquemont and General Cot, with the weakness of their mandate and the lack of resources needed to implement UN decisions,

F.having regard to the requests for US military participation in stopping the violence,

G.having regard to the reluctance of EU Member States to provide extra troops in spite of solemn promises to that effect,

H.having regard to the mandate, the strategy and the lack of results achieved by the UN and EU negotiators, who consistently attempt to divide Bosnia-Herzegovina along ethnic lines, even though it is a member of the United Nations,

I.having regard to the statements of the North Atlantic Council and the UN Security Council,

1.Demands:

(a)that the over-riding aims of EU policy in Bosnia be to achieve a negotiated settlement and to prevent the spread of war in the Balkans;

(b)the recognition and protection of the right of the legal government of Bosnia-Herzegovina to a viable state;

(c)the determination to turn UNPROFOR into "peace-making" troops since the failure to establish peace dooms "peace-keeping" to failure;

(d)troops to ensure, by their active intervention, the safety of all "safe areas" as promised by the Council and the Member States;

(e)the opening of supply routes and the airport to Tuzla, which is the biggest area where the Bosnians still maintain a multi-ethnic civilian government;

(f)an end to the "strangulation" of Sarajevo;

(g)an end to the blocking of the rotation of UNPROFOR contingents;

(h)the dismantling of artillery positions from which ceasefires are broken and the elimination of sniper activities pursuant to the NATO decision of 11 January 1994;

(i)that every effort be made to keep civilian and UNPROFOR casualties to a minimum;

(j)active diplomacy and pressure on Croatia in order to end Croatian attacks on Bosnia-Herzegovina and to restore good relations between the two countries;

(k)sanctions against the Belgrade regime to be rigorously maintained until all Serb aggression against Bosnia-Herzegovina is ended;

(l)active assistance to all those throughout the former Yugoslavia who support human rights, democracy and dialogue against chauvinism and ethnic cleansing;

(m)that political, operational and financial support for the International Tribunal for War Crimes in former Yugoslavia be part of the common action programme of the European Union;

(n)the nomination of a new EU negotiator with a proper mandate and a new strategy for exercising it;

2.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council, the Secretaries-General of the UN, NATO and the WEU and the governments of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia and Serbia.