European Union (Definition of Treaties) (Stabilisation and Association Agreement) (Bosnia and Herzegovina) Order 2010

My Lords, I thank the Minister for presenting these orders to the Grand Committee for approval. I also thank the opposition spokesman for her remarks and questions. I will support the questions that she asked, and look forward to positive answers from the Minister. We considered a stabilisation and association agreement for Montenegro on 2 December. There are similarities here: we are dealing with the same geographical area. Anxieties were expressed, not least by my noble friend Lord Ashdown, about the breakaway tendencies that were referred to by the opposition spokesman today, and about the disturbing signs in the area and in Bosnia and Herzegovina. We are anxious that there should be no encouragement from neighbouring states for these tendencies, which would make it more difficult for Bosnia and Herzegovina not only to make internal geopolitical progress but also to keep to the conditions of the agreement. This is welcome and, as the Minister implied, is a stage towards possible future membership of the EU, although not a guarantee. However, there is an implication that that is the will. It was handled very well by the Slovenian presidency when this agreement and treaty were first promulgated, and indeed at the same time as Slovenia impressed us all by joining the euro—a long time before the United Kingdom, which remains a pity for many of us as observers. Having said that, there is now tremendous good will not only in the neighbouring states, apart from the rather disturbing examples I referred to while deliberately not mentioning too many names, but also in the western side of the European Union for what may be a beneficial effect on the stability of the whole area and indeed on Bosnia and Herzegovina itself. This has been a complicated agreement that was not easy to reach. As we know, the UK is a strong supporter of EU enlargement, including to the countries of the western Balkans, and that is why we on these Benches welcome the order.