EUPM CALLS FOR UGENT APPOINTMENT OF HNC POLICE COMMISSIONER

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (January 24,2008) - The EU Police Mission in Bosnia (EUPM) strongly supports the Minister of Interior of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton (HNC) in his appeal to relevant authorities to speed up the appointment process at the Independent Selection and Review Board. This would allow for the urgently needed appointment of a new Police Commissioner for the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton,the EUPM said.

The police service of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton cannot function effectively without a Police Commissioner, and therefore cannot fully respond to the needs of citizens. This issue should be high on the agenda of local authorities and should not be treated as a political, but rather as a purely professional issue.

The EUPM expects there will be no further unnecessary stalling of the Independent Selection and Review Board appointment.

The EUPM is European Union's mission in Bosnia that aids the Bosnian police organizations. It is the first such mission undertaken by the EU within the framework of the Common Foreign and Security Policy. The EUPM was the successor to United Nations' International Police Task Force in Bosnia, whose term ended at the end of 2002.