CSS: State-level police agencies are being deliberately undermined

(Patria) - The Law on Amendments to the Law on BiH Police Officers is again on the agenda of the next session of the House of Representatives of the BiH Parliamentary Assembly, albeit this time in the regular procedure for the first reading. Apparently, even this corrected version of the Bill, which has to some extent taken into account the views of trade union organizations, will not receive a passing grade from the representatives.

The remarks of the legislative and legal sector of the Joint Services of the BiH Secretariat relate to the lack of an opinion from the Directorate for European Integration on compliance with EU norms and non-compliance with the Uniform Rules for the drafting of regulations.

Even if the aforementioned remarks are ignored, the regular procedure after the first reading includes public consultations, then a second reading and adoption of legal amendments in two readings and in the House of Peoples of the BiH Parliamentary Assembly. Given the efficiency of these bodies, it is almost illusory to expect the adoption of the proposed legal provisions within the current parliamentary mandate. Therefore, state-level police agencies remain in agony with the staffing of necessary personnel to perform entrusted jobs and tasks. In this regard, the Center for Security Studies points to certain facts that threaten the collapse of state-level police structures:

Firstly, the irresponsibility and indolence of government institutions in resolving this burning issue that has been present for years. Staff shortages seriously jeopardize the work of state-level police agencies. As stated in the explanation, the current staffing is around 50% of the number of systematized positions, and during 2026, the retirement of another 15-20% of employees is expected (BiH Border Police - 300, Directorate for Coordination of Police Bodies of BiH - 150, and State Investigation and Protection Agency - 95 police officers). The dynamics of the cadet recruitment plan for training at the Agency for Education and Professional Training of Personnel (AEPTM), through which it is the only way to recruit police officers at the state level, envisages the start of training for 125 cadets in 2026 and 200 cadets in 2027. After seven months of intensive training, they will be able to be assigned to police agencies. In practice, this means a further reduction and insufficient filling of the missing personnel.

The repeated initiative of MP Kemal Ademović to increase the capacity of the aforementioned Training Agency in Mostar is just one of the quality ideas, but it is too late to solve the burning problem. A similar proposal was made by the said MP more than two years ago, when it might have been useful. However, as is known, the proposal did not find understanding in the current political environment, which may even indicate a more long-term, insidious plan to the detriment of the functioning of state police agencies.

The second worrying aspect, which we have had the opportunity to hear in public, relates to the clearly expressed distrust of employees towards their superiors, i.e., directors who manage the work of the competent police agencies. With the envisaged amendments to the law, certain discretionary rights have been added to the superiors in selecting candidates who would extend their employment after acquiring the right to retire. What we have heard from trade union representatives is revolt regarding these provisions and the expression of views that only suitable and loyal cadres to the superiors will be favored, not those who have been waiting for promotion for many years.

As a third observation, the corrected proposal of the text of the amendments to the Bill, after the remarks of the employees, relates to changing the structure of personnel who will be offered to remain in service. According to the new proposal, it would cover 80% of employees at lower and middle management levels, and up to 20% with the highest police ranks, i.e., management staff. It is precisely the personnel in lower and middle management positions who bear the greatest burden of the obligations of police agencies. We believe that this, albeit forced cosmetic change, will not solve the problem of the interest of these categories of police officers in remaining in further service.

The difference between the amount of their potential pension and their current salary is unlikely to be attractive and economically justified enough for these categories of employees to decide to initiate the process of voluntary extension of employment.

All of the above indicates possible hidden interests of certain political actors who are deliberately working to undermine the existing police system at the state level, in order to achieve certain goals that are not in favor of the rule of law and the interests of citizens. The indolence of the institutional system to respond promptly to the serious endangerment of the security system and the palliative solutions of certain representatives, likely expressed in good faith, nevertheless give the impression that the interests of citizens are not being considered.

On the contrary, there is an undermining of the hard-won level of citizen protection throughout BiH, as well as a threat to BiH's international position regarding its commitments as part of the broader European collective security system. How will BiH fulfill its obligations for quality border protection without the necessary personnel, and how will it be an equal partner to Frontex officers deployed to improve border security and prevent migrant flows and smuggling on the doorstep of the European border?

Those in power in BiH need to answer these questions as soon as possible, rather than diverting attention to ephemeral problems that are only in their populist interest, and certainly not in the interest of citizens and the much-needed rule of law and achieving European standards.