The European Union, in a statement delivered at the OSCE Permanent Council on 16 July 2026, marked the 31st anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide, commemorating the more than 8,300 Bosniaks killed in July 1995. The statement, issued by the EU Delegation to the International Organisations in Vienna, expressed solidarity with victims, survivors, and families of the missing, and called on Bosnia and Herzegovina's political leadership to pursue dialogue, reconciliation, and unity. The EU rejected genocide denial, revisionism, and the glorification of convicted war criminals, urging regional leaders to reject hate and divisive rhetoric.
The statement reaffirmed the EU's commitment to the stability, security, and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and its European perspective as a single, united, and sovereign country. It noted that building bridges of reconciliation would enable progress on the EU integration path. The statement was aligned with Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Republic of Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, San Marino, Türkiye, and Ukraine.
The anniversary comes as war continues on the European continent, underscoring the need to stand up for peace, human dignity, accountability, and universal values. The EU emphasised that peace can never be taken for granted and that such atrocities must never happen again.