Mission MAG - European Union Police Mission in Bosnia and ...

No 10 22 December 2006 

BiH Presidency officially closes 

Choose Life, not Drugs campaign 

It was graduation day at the closing ceremony 

of the Choose Life, not Drugs 

campaign, at Dom Armije, Sarajevo, on 

15 December. 

The event took place under the high 

patronage of the BiH Presidency and students 

and journalists were eagerly waiting 

to be handed out prizes by Member of the 

BiH Presidency Haris Silajdzic, Director 

of SIPA Sredoje Novic and Head of 

EUPM Brigadier General Vincenzo 

Coppola. 

"The world remains in the 

hands of the young people" 

Students showed great enthusiasm with 

no fewer than 39 projects from schools 

and faculties from all over the country 

being handed in to the jury, whether from 

the Academy of Fine Arts in Sarajevo or 

the Faculty of Medical Science in Tuzla. 

EUPM, which launched both the journalists’ 

and students’ competition in order 

to prompt citizens to take on the fight against 

drugs as the Choose Life, not Drugs 

campaign comes to an end, was positively 

surprised about the high level of participation. 

"The old Bosnian saying ‘Na mladima 

svijet ostaje’ (the world remains in the 

hands of the young people) was again 

proven to be true," Brigadier General 

Coppola said. "The creativity of their ideas, 

presented through excellent implementation 

plans, was truly inspirational." 

Brigadier General Coppola also praised 

the winning journalistic pieces for their 

analytical and investigative approach. 

What’s next 

Now that the campaign is over, if the 

combat against drugs is to go on successfully, 

it requires an integrated strategy 

and participation of all relevant institutions. 

Unfortunately, BiH still does not 

have a state-level institution which would 

be in charge of registering and compiling 

such data. 

"The solution to this problem is creation 

Continued on page 2 >> 

Dear EUPM 

members, 

The very smooth 

running of EUPM 

and your professional 

performances, individually 

as well as 

collectively, make 

EUPM a very reliable 

mission, with 

only good surprises 

coming from the ground. The latest mission 

review report has documented once 

again the quality of your work being 

done in BiH. This is highly appreciated 

in Brussels. 

EUPM, thanks to all of its dedicated 

national and international personnel 

and excellent leadership, is performing 

extremely well, delivering on all objectives 

without major problems. I'd like to 

thank you all very much for this achievement. 

For quite some time I intended to visit 

the mission and to try and meet as many 

of you as possible, but the scope of Civilian 

crisis management is constantly 

increasing, leading to new missions in 

very challenging environments, thus increasing 

the workload and pressure on 

my Directorate. 

One of the latest developments that is 

keeping me very busy is related to the 

wider Region EUPM is operating within: 

since Spring 2006, the EU has established 

a Planning Team in Kosovo 1 to 

prepare for a possible Civilian ESDP 

operation in the area of Police, Rule of 

Law and Customs that would take a 

leading international civilian role in 

Kosovo following the decision on 

Status. 

Nevertheless, EUPM is essential also 

in this process. Experiences and exam- 

1 

EU Planning Team for Kosovo (EUPT) 

Continued on page 2 >> 

European Union Police Mission www.eupm.org 1

Member of BiH Presidency Haris Silajdzic 

and winning student Denis Berberovic 

Continued from page 1 >> 

and adoption of a nation-wide strategy for 

fight against drugs," Brigadier General 

Coppola said. "Only a national strategy 

can form a long-term solution, as the 

police alone cannot deal with the drug 

problem." 

"We hope that our campaign has just 

started this process and that in addition to 

being educational, it has raised discussions 

in BiH society that will hopefully urge 

the relevant governmental institutions to 

act upon it and take concrete steps towards 

adoption of a state-level strategy," 

he added, welcoming the commitment of 

the BiH Presidency to the fight against 

drugs in deciding to be the grand patron of 

this closing event. 

The winning students’ team is certain 

that this will not represent the end of their 

involvement in the anti-drugs campaign. 

"Immediately after the awards ceremony, 

we were discussing the organization of 

the roundtable, which would apart from 

us gather representatives of police, health 

and NGO sector to see what can be done 

Continued from page 1 >> 

ples from your work in EUPM are an 

important source of information for 

EUPT's planning process. The development 

of the EUFOR - EUPM Common 

Operational Guidelines, mechanisms to 

share criminal information and intelligence 

with other actors in the field, the 

methodology and results of your first 

organised crime assessment, to name 

but a few. 

In short, we can certainly say that 

EUPM performance is a model for all 

civilian missions and I am proud to refer 

to it as an example of professionalism 

and dedication. 

Facing the end of the year I would 

also like to take this opportunity to personally 

wish you all a safe and peaceful 

holiday and a good start into the New 

Year. 

Yours, 

Pedro Serrano 

concretely," Denis Berberovic, one of the 

students said. "When we handed over the 

CD with our presentation to Mr. Haris 

Silajdzic, I told him I was hoping something 

will come up as a result of it. He 

said he hopes too." 

By Ann Vaessen 

Interview 

"We have a winning team" 

On 15 December Brigadier General 

Vincenzo Coppola invited all the EUPM 

staff to join him and his wife for coffee 

and cakes to celebrate the holiday season. 

In a relaxed atmosphere, Brigadier General 

Coppola congratulated his staff for 

their contribution to this successful year. 

He announced that in 2007 EUPM will 

Head of Mission Vincenzo Coppola 

focus on the support to the fight against 

organized crime, and that the organizational 

structure will be slightly adapted 

to fulfill this task, while the overall number 

of personnel will remain the same. 

Holiday season celebrations do not go 

without a present. The Head of Mission 

burst into laughter when he un-wrapped 

his: a caricature of himself at work. 

We met him immediately after coffee, 

as his present was being hung in his 

office, and asked him about his impressions 

as a successful year is almost over 

and another challenging year is about to 

start. 

What is the current state of play 

We got positive feedback in Brussels. 

This is what I got from my last two visits in 

November and December. The final draft 

proposal for police reform is already in the 

pipeline. (some hammering in the background 

- the General’s Christmas present is 

being hung on the wall in his office) 

Regarding the support to the fight against 

organised crime we are very much operational 

together with the local police - I must 

say with the strong support of EUFOR. We 

are waiting for some results to come and 

they will come. I see everything in a positive 

light. We are very much along the mandate 

that was given to us. The police structures, 

the political structures and the international 

community respect EUPM because 

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European Union Police Mission 

www.eupm.org

we deliver what we are supposed to deliver. 

Our attitude towards the local police is collegial. 

EUPM’s personnel are dedicated. 

You are happy about your team 

We have a winning team. We are achieving 

positive results. 

What about next year 

The mandate is not changing. We are 

adapting the structure to better cope with 

the tasking. Now that the proposal for the 

police reform is in view, we will focus more 

on organised crime. We have seen deficiencies 

that we somehow have to breach. 

What are the 

prospects in the long-run 

The six-monthly review in June next year 

will tell us something about the future of 

the Mission. Now is too early to talk about 

this. In the first months of the coming year, 

if we pass to the implementation phase of 

police reform and if we deliver positive 

results in the fight against organised crime, 

we will give the Council of the EU enough 

elements to decide whether to change the 

mandate or extend the mission. 

What about the two state-level 

agencies, SIPA and SBS 

Where do they stand 

Regarding SBS, there is little to say. They 

are almost there. As to SIPA we really have 

to increase our efforts. First of all, they have 

to complete the recruitment of manpower as 

much as they can. Second, they have to 

reinforce their capacity in the fight against 

organised crime. They are good, but we are 

really addressing higher levels of professionalism. 

We expect positive results from 

both. I am optimistic. 

Besides optimism, what work 

motto would you share with us 

A Latin motto which says ”audaces fortuna 

juvat”, which means fortune favors the 

brave. 

I want initiative from our personnel in 

their respective fields. We cannot only 

react, we have to be proactive. We have to 

anticipate problems as much as we can. 

What was the toughest thing 

when you joined the mission 

The toughest thing was to organize the 

mission according to the new mandate. We 

needed to change the mentality of the police 

officers who were in the Mission, but they 

adapted very quickly. In the meantime, my 

concern was to enter the system of police 

reform. I had to understand everything 

about the political debate preceding the 

October 2005 agreement and understand 

what the challenges ahead were. I had to 

define my role within the Directorate for 

Police Reform at a time when nobody knew 

me. I needed to build my credibility within 

the Directorate, where there are a number of 

fine professionals. And, of course, I needed 

to explain the international community 

about the change of mandate. 

Are you also optimistic 

about police reform 

What we are delivering is good. It is not 

a maquillage. It is a real police reform. If 

we implement it, it will really change the 

situation in this country. I asked the politicians 

who were present in Brussels to read 

the document, read it again and , understand 

thoroughly what is in the document, and 

then not reject it, but start discussing it. It is 

not a document that you can read in 20 minutes 

and decide you do not like it. It took 

months to prepare a document in which 

everything fits into the picture. We need to 

understand the broad picture and not look at 

the tiny detail that you don’t like. 

What would you like to say 

to our Mission Members 

Have nice holidays. Enjoy your holidays 

with your families. Come back well 

charged because we have to start another 

challenging year. I want them back full of 

energy. 



Zoom 

Financial Department 

Financial Department: 

A wealth of knowledge and friendship 

If money makes the world go around, 

a finance department is the pulse of 

every organization, giving it life and 

allowing it to give its own push to 

Earth's spinning. EUPM is no exception. 

Or perhaps it is. Because unlike 

the stereotypical finance department, 

our money division has a soul, delivered 

with a smile to everyone that comes 

by. Due to that fact, Samira, Amir, 

Samra, Lidija, Elvedina, Asja and the 

Chief of Finance Department Michael 

Gilmore are known to everyone in the 

Mission. We went to their rather cold 

offices on the ground floor of MHQ 

and spoke to these seven people (lucky 

number, eh) about the ups and downs 

of their work. 

You guys are a 

well-oiled machine, it seems. 

Michael: The mission constantly presents 

its members with new challenges. 

Finance, for its part, continues to respond 

to mission demands, flexibly and positively, 

whilst remaining focused on the 

core objectives of applying mission 

procedures, assuring value for money and 

producing accurate and EC compliant accounting 

statements. I am grateful for 

their efforts. 

How do you guys function within 

the department Who does what 

Samira: If there is a need, we can all 

do everything. We jump in and help each 

other. 

Amir: We work as a team, of course. 

There are two people in each office and 

these two function as a unit within the 

team. Except for Dina (Elvedina); she is 

known as a great individualist, always on 

top of everything, so we call her The 

Master Blaster (all laugh). We all envy 

her. 

Dina: It's just about having the right information 

at all times. (laughs) No, but 

seriously, it is a demanding job and we all 

work together to produce the best results. 

You all seem to enjoy 

your work with the Mission. 

Samra: Yes. It is almost always incredibly 

busy, but we get to meet a lot of people. 

Samira: Yes, the whole Mission has 

passed down this hall in the past years. 

(all laugh) 

Dina: That is one of the best things 

about working for this department. We all 

have the opportunity to meet a diverse 

group of people, from different nations 

and nationalities, various backgrounds 

and we all get along great. That is so 

gratifying to witness and to know. 

You don't only get along with others 

but also amongst yourselves. 

Do you get a chance to spend time 

together not related to work 

Any team-building activities 

Samira: We have coffee and lunches 

together quite frequently. 

Amir: Team-building is a problem with 

us because it is impossible for the whole 

department to leave. Someone has to be 

here at all times, especially Lidija for 

example, because she works with cash 

From left to right: Michael Gilmore, Elvedina Ilic, Lidija Dujic and Amir 

Bojadzija (in the back); Asja Karic, Samira Selmanovic and Samra Alibegic. 

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and duty travel allowances. So, due to the 

sheer nature of work, we cannot have 

many team-building exercises where we 

can all attend. Fortunately, we are a great 

team already. 

Michael, how do you 

feel about your team 

Michael: It is a pleasure for me to work 

with the Finance team. They are responsive 

to the needs of the mission, eager to 

learn and always willing to take on more 

responsibilites. I am fortunate that a 

friendly and cheerful atmosphere exists 

in Finance. Let's face it; there is from 

time to time a negative aspect to our 

work. We cannot accept everything that 

we see and are responsible for applying a 

certain amount of control over mission 

expenditure. I sense that we do this objectively. 

I believe we have never lost our 

sense of humor, even in the most challenging 

situations. 

Accountability in action: 

Canton 10 suspends seven 

police officers pending 

disciplinary procedures 

In the first nine months of 2006, Canton Livno's Internal Control Unit (ICU) has 

received 49 complaints (20 less than in the same period in 2005) about the performance 

of the employees of its Ministry of Interior. 

So far, four cases of violation of duty have been confirmed, 38 complaints have 

been rejected and seven police officers have been suspended pending finalization of 

the disciplinary procedures. 

Ivica Vrdoljak, Canton 10 Police Spokesperson states that the number of complaints 

sent to ICU about the work of the police in 2006 was for 60 percent lower than 

last year. 

"Looking closely at the figures in each of the municipalities in the Canton, most of 

the complaints this year were filed in Livno, in total 15, followed by Drvar 13, 

Glamoc nine, Tomislavgrad seven, Kupres four and Bosansko Grahovo one," he says. 

Vrdoljak further explains that the Press office of Canton 10 MoI made it a regular 

practice to inform the general public about the results of ICU investigations. 

In his opinion, publicising this type of information can only contribute to raising the 

level of trust of citizens in their police, as well as the level of accountability within 

the police force itself. 

By Zinaida Ilaria 

So there are downsides to your job 

Amir: Well, however much we like 

working with people, it is sometimes hard 

because we have so many rules and procedures 

in our work that need to be 

respected. I would say that we are not the 

favourite people in the Mission because 

of our line of work. But I hope we still 

manage to finish and deliver as we are 

expected to. 

So would then more understanding 

be your wish for the New Year 

Samra: That and a new mission, of 

course. (all laugh) 

Dina: True. On a serious note, though, 

I would say that everyone's New Year's 

wish should actually be no new mission 

anywhere in Bosnia and Herzegovina, 

because that would mean that we as a 

country moved forward and are capable 

of creating a good, safe and secure life for 

ourselves, without anyone's help. 

A true New Year's wish for the benefit 

of all. 

By Sanela Osmanovic 

The Mission Mag is produced by the EUPM PRESS AND PUBLIC INFORMATION DEPARTMENT (PPID) 

Editor-in-Chief: Kilian Wahl, e-mail: kwahl@eupm.org, phone: + 387 33 752 766, fax: + 387 33 752 759 

Editor: Ann Vaessen, e-mail: avaessen@eupm.org, phone: +387 33 752 760, fax: +387 33 752 759

Interview 

Maria Cristina Stepanescu 

EUPM hosted a Donors Conference on 

29 November. It was the second of this 

type organized this year. We met with 

Maria Cristina Stepanescu, the Head of 

the Programme Development and 

Coordination Department, to get an 

overview of the emerging needs of the 

law enforcement agencies in BiH, and to 

talk about donation issues and projects 

in general. 

What was the main aim 

of this Donors Conference 

We invited members of the diplomatic 

missions in BIH, but also traditional EUPM 

partners like the European Commission, the 

International Organization for Migration 

(IOM), the Office of the High Representative 

(OHR) and the International Criminal 

Investigative Training and Assistance 

Program (ICITAP), which are all well 

known for their contributions in support of 

the Law Enforcement Agencies of BiH. 

We wanted to thank them for their contributions 

so far and to provide them with 

first-hand information on the current and 

future needs of police agencies throughout 

the country. 

Which Local Enforcement Agencies 

are most in need of international 

financial support 

I would not say that one agency has more 

needs than some others. I would rather say 

that in a way or another all BiH Law 

Enforcement Agencies still need international 

community support. But our intention 

is to advocate for those needs that fall 

"All BiH Law Enforcement Age 

still need international suppo 

under police reform and EUPM’s mandate 

in general. The two state-level institutions, 

SIPA and SBS, which have jurisdiction 

throughout BiH, are functional but they are 

still in their infancy. They still need support. 

Could you expand a 

bit on SIPA’s and SBS’ needs 

I would say that both agencies are in need 

of specialized training: from informant handling, 

i2 analyst notebook and surveillance 

training for SIPA, to training in the field of 

strategic planning and risk analysis for 

SBS. Both agencies are also still in need of 

different types of equipment: devices for 

discovering forged documents, optical readers, 

portable cameras, shooting equipment. 

But for anyone who is interested I have the 

complete list of their needs. 

Which are the most generous 

organizations when it comes to 

offering support to LEAs in BiH 

I want to stress that any small contribution 

is worth a lot. Indeed there are big contributors, 

such as the EC and ICITAP. They 

have to be mentioned, but then again a lot 

of countries contributed as well. 

Let’s get back to your department. 

Could you give us a short overview 

of the main Projects you have 

launched lately 

From the beginning of 2006 the initiatives 

regarding new Projects have to be 

developed under BIH ownership. EUPM 

police officers provide them with assistance 

and act as observers, but the Local Police 

Officers took the lead insofar as project 

development is concerned. This year, 

besides following up on the projects which 

have not been implemented by the end of 

2005, we have launched the Traffic Police 

Project and were part of the team which 

developed the Community Policing 

Strategy for the whole of BiH. But I would 

prefer to talk about this strategy in due 

course. 

How is your department organized 

What are the major steps from the 

selection of a Project towards 

its implementation 

The Department is currently covering 3 

tasks. First, we monitor the implementation 

process of all programmes/projects developed 

under the first part of the EUPM mandate; 

second, we inspect these projects in 

order to ensure their sustainability, and 

third, we deal with donor activities. The 

department is a joint department: the tasks 

are carried out by international police officers, 

local police experts and local staff 

alike. Since the EUPM mandate has 

changed at the beginning of the year all 

tasks regarding the development and the 

implementation of projects are carried out 

by the BiH police officers in the co-locations 

and EUPM through JPDCD just 

advises them when needed. 

Which criteria do you use to select 

the Projects you want to develop and 

implement 

From my point of view, at the beginning 

of EUPM 1, we looked at whether the particular 

segment of policing dealt with within 

the framework of a specific programme 

was worth being addressed or not. Of 

course, in the beginning, there was pretty 

much a need to address all the areas, from 

the most general ones, like public order and 

security, to more specific issues. 

If you were to write a success story 

about one specific programme you 

have implemented since you joined 

EUPM, which one would you pick 

There are lots of success stories. I would 

pick the Public Order and Security Projects 

(former Programme 5), the Training 

Projects (Programme 2), the Internal Affairs 

Projects (Programme 3), the Trafficking in 

Human Beings Project and SIPA, as an 

Institutional Programme. 

What are your department’s main 

objectives in the future Are there any 

aspects in its organization you would 

like to see changed. In other terms, 

are there any obstacles you would 

like to see removed 

The short-term strategy of the department 

should focus on the three above-mentioned 

tasks to let’s say close down part of the 

projects which are fully implemented and to 

try to find solutions for those which can not 

be implemented at that moment due certain 

obstacles. Most of the obstacles are of a 

financial nature and can be overcome in 

two ways: further support from the donor 

community or better planning of the budget 

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ncies 

rt" 

from the BiH LEA managers. Other obstacles 

are pending with the reform of the 

police forces in BiH. 

What is your professional motto 

I have more than one, let’s say ”Do not 

leave for tomorrow what can be solved 

today”. The others can not be translated 

from my mother tongue. (laughs) 

SIPA officers get update on 

latest close protection tactics 

Carla Del Ponte and other VIPs whose 

security is regularly ensured by SIPA's 

Protection Department may rest assured: 

they are in good hands. 

For two weeks, from 13 to 24 November, 

four experts from the Protection 

Group of the French National Police 

have been instructing SIPA's VIP drivers 

on all aspects of close protection including 

specific driving skills: from the basic 

tactics, to specific manoeuvrings and 

shooting reactions. 

Tell us a bit about your career… 

Talking about me…is not exactly my 

favourite topic. I have been a police officer 

for 16 years; I am a ”Police Commissar” 

(lt.col) with the Romanian National Police 

and back in Bucharest I have worked for the 

Romanian National Police HQ. 

As a Police Officer, my area of expertise 

is organized crime, drug related and trafficking 

in human being offences, at the 

county level. I have been doing project 

development and also planning and strategy 

in these areas. 

I am a criminal attorney as well. 

Is this your first mission 

No, I spent two years in Kosovo, in Pristina, 

at the beginning of the UN Mission 

there (2000-2002). 

Would you go for another mission 

Yes, I would like to return to Kosovo. 

By Ann Veassen 

"We have organised a lot of simulation 

exercises in order to make sure that they 

apply the latest close protection tactics 

automatically," Jean-Luc Forget, 

EUPM's VIP & Facilities Protection 

Adviser explains. "The protection mechanisms 

that we taught them must 

become a second nature." 

This training session took place as part 

of an ongoing process supported by 

EUPM in order to enhance SIPA's readiness 

in matters of close protection. Since 

January 2005, some SIPA officers have 

benefited from a negotiation course in 

France, a protection course in Egypt and 

a shooting course in the United Kingdom, 

to name only a few. 

"We organised this training session 

because we noticed that SIPA's drivers 

were behind as far as close protection 

driving techniques were concerned," 

Forget goes on. "When it comes to close 

protection, a driver must not only know 

how to use his vehicle (VIP or security 

car) but also to be a well-trained protection 

officer." 

A 'graduation ceremony' took place on 

24 November in the presence of EUPM 

Head of Mission Brigadier General 

Vincenzo Coppola and Deputy Director 

of SIPA Sead Lisak. 

SIPA, in cooperation with EUPM, will 

now make sure that the 24 officers who 

participated in this session will continue 

to be trained at least three to four times a 

week. 



Undercover 

In movies, you often see police officers 

who infiltrate a criminal group in 

order to collect information. But this 

method cannot be applied in any case… 

A court proceeding has currently been 

going on at the BiH Court against M.B., 

A. C. and B.I. They are suspected of organising 

terrorist attacks in BiH and possibly 

in other European countries. Special 

investigative methods have been used to 

unveil their intentions, such as secret tailing, 

audio-, video -, or technical surveillance, 

simulating transactions, offering 

bribery, breaking into computer systems 

and electronic comparison of data, to 

name only a few. The use of an informer 

or an undercover investigator falls under 

the same category. 

"The principle is the following: a police 

officer infiltrates a criminal environment, 

following the guidelines of a judge or a 

prosecutor, depending on the legal system, 

and collects the information and the 

evidence needed for the criminal proceeding," 

explains Haris Halilovic, Senior Assistant 

at the Faculty of Criminal Science 

in Sarajevo. 

The use of an undercover investigator, 

as well as other special investigative 

methods, is often very efficient, but it also 

jeopardises privacy. This is why such 

methods are strictly defined by the current 

legislation on criminal matters (i.e. 

Criminal Procedural Codes). 

'Antidroga.ba' will survive 

the anti-drugs campaign 

It is not easy to talk about drugs. That's why EUPM created www.antidroga.ba, 

providing you with all the information you need in just one click. 

As the Choose, Life not Drugs Campaign comes to an end, we asked the main 

actors of the fight against drugs in BiH what they think about the website. And it 

seems like Antidroga.ba will survive long after the campaign! 

"I think that creating the website www.antidroga.ba was one of the most important 

activities within the project that EUPM started in cooperation with agencies for 

implementation of the law in BiH. The webpage is useful for NGOs because we can 

use it to present our activities and, at the same time, it is also provides people with 

information about this subject." 

Samir Ibiševic, President of PROI, Sarajevo 

"It is of great use for us all who work on drug use prevention and treatment, 

because we can represent our work and have information about each other's work. 

It is very important for the users of our services as well, because we can provide them 

with easy access to a wealth of information." 

Sanja Stanic, Coordinator of Together 

and President of Viktorija, Banja Luka 

"I believe that this web portal is of great importance for coordinated and transparent 

work of NGOs that work on prevention of drug addiction. It promotes the 

exchange of information between all those involved in this issue." 

Valentina Gagic, President of Association Sara, Srebrenica 

By Sanela Pekic 

Restricted use only 

"One of the conditions is the existence 

of reasonable suspicion that a certain 

person has committed or is still committing 

a criminal offence," says Ramiz Hasic, 

Chief of the Special Purposes Department 

of the Criminal Investigation Department 

within the Ministry of Interior, 

Herzegovina-Neretva Canton. "The other 

condition is that the necessary evidence 

could not have been obtained in any other 

way or that it may have been unreasonably 

difficult to obtain." 

According to the law, special investigative 

measures can be applied to uncover 

criminal offences against BiH's integrity, 

such as acts of terrorism, smuggling, 

human or drug trafficking, and money 

laundering, as well as all other offences 

for which it is possible to render a verdict 

of up to at least three years of imprisonment. 

"We are not satisfied with the fact that 

special investigative methods can only be 

used in these cases," says Salih Memic, 

Chief Prosecutor of the County 

Prosecution in Doboj. "I think they could 

be applied in other cases too, since there 

are many criminal offences requiring 

smaller sanctions, but for which special 

investigative methods are the only way to 

obtain evidence." 

As a matter of fact, the law does not 

allow using any of the special investigative 

methods to investigate offences such 

as drug dealing, unless an organised criminal 

group is involved. 

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Missed opportunities 

Police have recently seized around 1 kg 

of heroin and arrested one person in the 

Herzegovina area. Although the Ministry 

of the Interior of Herzegovina-Neretva 

Canton drew their attention to previous 

incidents, pointing to a significant criminal 

chain involving neighbouring and 

even Western European countries, the law 

did not allow them to use special investigative 

methods to prove these suspicions 

and a unique opportunity to dismantle the 

whole crime chain was missed. 

"In article 238 of the Law on Criminal 

Procedure, which speaks about the distribution 

of drugs, point 1 indicates a oneto 

10-year prison sentence, while point 2 

mentions 3 years, but only if it is an 

organised group," explains Hasic. "And in 

this concrete case, if we were to prove that 

there was an organised group involved, 

we would need to use special investigative 

methods." 

Zdenko Kovac, Deputy Chief Prosecutor 

of the Prosecution of the Herzegovina- 

Neretva Canton, thinks that a criminal 

offence of this kind would be more successfully 

uncovered and proven before 

the court if the criteria for the use of special 

investigative methods were reduced. 

In order to produce better results in preventing 

more severe criminal offences, an 

initiative was launched to take out the 

word at least from the part referring to a 

sanction of at least three years. This 

would make it easier for the judges to 

allow the prosecutors to use special investigative 

methods. 

What's more, if recourse to special 

investigating has not been approved, the 

evidence is not considered valid at the 

court. Because of these legal limitations, a 

man suspected of drug dealing in the 

West-Herzegovina area was acquitted. 

The evidence proving his guilt had been 

obtained through special investigative 

methods, which the law does not approve 

of for such offences. 

"It is time to deter drug 

traffickers from using 

BiH as a transit country" 

A drug lab was recently discovered 

near Banja Luka, suggesting that precursors 

- the chemical substance needed to 

make drugs - must have been smuggled 

into the country. Yet, not a single milligram 

has been seized in BiH within the 

last two years. 

Concerned about this latest trend, the 

EUPM SIPA Team organized a seminar 

on 21 November to raise awareness 

about the use of precursors and the various 

ways in which they are smuggled to 

the country. 

”There used to be a legal void regarding 

precursors,” explains Bo Petersson, 

EUPM SIPA Drug Adviser. ”But it is no 

longer the case, and it is time to join 

ranks and deter drug traffickers from 

using BiH as a transit country.” 

With this aim in mind, EUPM invited 

Steve Alm, a Swedish drug expert, to 

brief SIPA, SBS and ITA officers about 

the various methods used by drug traffickers 

to smuggle precursors. 

”Since chemicals are traded globally, 

it is very complicated to track down 

smugglers,” Petersson goes on. ”It requires 

coordinated measures between all 

countries. BiH also needs to be in the 

loop.” 


Law enforcement agencies throughout 

BiH are still applying special investigative 

methods that have proven to be very 

efficient. If only the law would leave them 

enough room to do their work… 

From Hronika 122 magazine, 

by Adisa Dedic 

Translated by Natasa Kuljic 


Domestic violence is often not reported 

"He would slap me, kick me, pull my hair, insult me verbally 

and threaten me. I was so humiliated. He even beat me up 

when I was pregnant," says a victim of domestic violence. 

Domestic violence is on the increase in BiH. While in the 

Federation, domestic violence has gone up by 2.5% since 

last year, the Republika Srpska registers an unprecedented 

15 % increase. 

In the countries of ex-Yugoslavia, women generally do not 

talk about domestic violence. They even tend to believe that 

being occasionally hit or even beaten up is a component of 

marriage, claims Radio Free Europe. 

To mark the International Day for the Elimination of 

Violence against Women (25 November), we asked several 

experts about the possible causes of this dramatic increase. 

"There are various causes," says Azra Hasanbegovic, Executive 

Director of Women in BiH, one of the major actors in the 

fight against domestic violence. The NGO set up an SOS line 

for the victims of domestic violence and runs one of the six 

Safe Houses in the country. 

Hasanbegovic is convinced that domestic violence happens 

Crash course on EU institutions 

for Political Department 

All members of EUPM's Political 

Department gathered in Sarajevo on 30 

November for a one-day crash course in 

EU affairs. 

"Since I took over as Chief Political 

Adviser in January this year, part of my 

focus has been to improve the on-going 

professional training for national and 

international political officers," says 

Boyd McKechnie. "The European Union 

one-day course, among others, was a 

reflection of that. I believed it was important 

for all of us to place our work, which 

is from a field mission perspective, into 

the bigger picture of European Union 

efforts to spread democracy and political 

stability all over the world." 

Tobias Flessenkemper, the Chief of our 

EU Coordination Office, started off with 

a lively and interactive presentation about 

the history of the EU and the European 

Security and Defense Policy in BiH. 

every day, but that most of the cases are probably not reported. 

"The unemployment rate is very high in BiH," she goes on. 

"People have to cope with a low standard of living. The traditional 

patriarchic family falls apart, bringing about alcoholism 

and other problems." 

Police intervention is now allowed, 

but many cases are not reported 

Maria Cristina Stepanescu, EUPM's Chief of the Programme 

Development and Coordination Department (PDCD), is familiar 

with the problem of domestic violence in BiH. Her department 

has contributed to the development of programmes dealing 

with human trafficking and community policing, and she 

personally insisted that these programmes also address domestic 

violence. 

"The law in BiH has been amended to allow police intervention 

in cases of domestic violence," she says. "Police forces in 

BiH have started to train their officers on how to treat victims." 

He then gave the floor to three guest 

speakers, namely Rasa Ostrauskaite, 

from the EUSR, Paraskevi Nazou, from 

the European Commission Delegation 

and Alicia Forsyth, from EUFOR. 

"The intense session was extremely 

informative," Boyd concluded. "Hopefully, 

in the future, when we hear about the 

SAA negotiations or the Security and 

Defence Policy we will be able to put our 

every-day duties in a wider perspective." 

In the same framework, the political 

department organised a one-day visit and 

briefing session at the BiH State Court in 

March this year. Boyd also has plans to 

organise another seminar in 2007 about 

the Euro-Atlantic institutions and the 

Partnership for Peace. 


10 


www.eupm.org

Reportedly, police are now showing a more gentle approach 

towards victims of domestic violence, taking them to the doctor, 

interrogating them in special hearing rooms and negotiating 

with NGOs to accommodate them in a Safe House or other 

shelter. 

Yet, the main obstacle in the fight against domestic violence 

is that most of the cases are never reported to the police. While 

the approach of the police has considerably improved, a lot of 

work still needs to be done to raise public awareness and 

'empower' women to press charges. 

"Domestic violence continuously takes place, but it is often 

reported too late or not at all," says Tamara Despenic, Spokesperson 

for the Ministry of Interior of the RS. 

Likewise, Stepanescu believes that many women do not file 

in a complaint immediately after the incident either because 

they are ashamed to do so or because of the fear of what would 

happen to her children and herself if she left her husband. 

After leaving the shelter, 

women often go back to the same situation 

"Shelters are only a short-term solution," Stepanescu says. 

"Due to a lack of means, making it impossible for them to lead 

an independent life, or due to fear, victims often go back to the 

same situation and even withdraw their complaint." 

Stepanescu hopes for a more developed system to help 

women stand up against violence and start a new life on their 

own. 

Legal obstacle 

between EUROPOL 

and EUPM needs 

to be removed 

In order to tackle organised crime in the Balkans effectively, 

it is high time that the legal obstacle standing in the way of a 

genuine, two-sided cooperation between EUPM and EUROPOL 

be removed. 

This was one of the main issues discussed at a seminar organised 

in London on 23 November by the Centre for European 

Reform, with the support of the Finnish EU Presidency. 

"Whereas EUPM can share intelligence with EUROPOL, the 

reverse is impossible," explains Chief Advisers Coordinator 

Klaus-Dieter Tietz, who represented EUPM at the seminar. 

As a matter of fact, since EUPM and EUROPOL belong to 

two different pillars of EU policy, full cooperation between the 

two organizations is legally impossible. 

"We need political will to get out of this deadlock," says Tietz. 

"It was very important for EUPM to be there and insist on the 

necessity to remove this legal obstacle." 

Germany, the incoming EU Presidency, was closely involved 

in these discussions and will follow up on the issues raised at the 

seminar. 


"The law on domestic violence does prescribe that police 

should co-operate with NGOs and other partners such as psychologists 

to act preventively," she says. "Families should be 

told that domestic violence is a criminal act and those with a 

violent history should be visited regularly to make sure the 

same does not happen again." 

Unfortunately, domestic violence is a universal phenomenon. 

According to United Nations statistics, every third woman has 

already experienced a form of violence, such as being beaten 

up, raped and similar. 

By Vedrana Dimitrijevic 


Finnish Independence Day Party 

A lot of EUPM members joined their Finnish colleagues to celebrate Independence 

Day on 1 December. The candlelight and music provided for a fun evening 

spent chatting, dancing and eating Finnish specialties. 

No more words needed, the pictures speak from themselves! 


Fun 

It’s Christmas, 

hohohooooooo! 

Sometimes, you want to bite your fingers for not having 

your camera with you. 

That’s how I felt at the EUPM Christmas Party, at the 

Holiday Inn, on 15 December, especially when 

Santa Clause showed up, handing out presents to 

the winners of the raffle together with our Head 

of Mission. 

Liam Jenkinson was particularly convincing 

as EUPM’s Santa. 

What can I tell those who could not join 

us It was definitely a great party, and, 

maybe, after all, most of us were 

happy that I did not bring my 

camera! Hohohooooo! 


12 


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