EU: Bosnia and Herzegovina must urgently amend the Law on Criminal Procedure

SARAJEVO, (Patria) – The Delegation of the European Union to BiH stated that they are aware of yesterday's session of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and once again call on the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH and all political parties to urgently amend the relevant provisions of the Law on Criminal Procedure in accordance with international standards and the request of the Constitutional Court of BiH.

„This will be of key importance for the ability of institutions responsible for the rule of law to preserve the security of the country, conduct sensitive investigations and provide immunity to witnesses, and to cooperate with international law enforcement agencies such as Interpol and Europol“, the EU stated, as reported by the Patria agency.

At the same time, the statement says, the European Union expresses serious concern over the failure of political parties, as well as the Council of Ministers and the Ministry of Justice, to adhere to their commitments to fight corruption, organized crime and other forms of serious crime, in the context of preparing the Opinion of the European Commission on BiH's EU membership application.

This year, the EU states, represents a unique opportunity for Bosnia and Herzegovina to strengthen its connection with the EU and the region, and to move closer to European Union standards, rather than moving away from them.

Several embassies in BiH, the OSCE and the OHR have previously accused HDZ BiH and SNDS of obstructing the adoption of amendments to the Law on Criminal Procedure of BiH.