Emergency session of the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with EU Delegation Head Luigi Soreca present in the Parliament building

(Patria) - The emergency session of the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina began with the intonation of the national anthem of Bosnia and Herzegovina, during which two laws are expected to be adopted: the Law on Border Control and the Law on Personal Data Protection, proposed by the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

It was proposed that the Law on Border Control be considered under an urgent procedure, and the Law on Personal Data Protection under a shortened procedure.

As stated by the Chairman of the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Denis Zvizdić, there is a quorum for work and decision-making.

Speaking about the procedure under which the Law on Border Control should be considered, the head of the SDA Club, Šerif Špago, said that the "take it or leave it" principle is not acceptable.

"The SDA Club believes that laws submitted for procedure on a take-it-or-leave-it basis are not acceptable, and we have no opportunity to participate in improving the law. The Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina pushes it through without any discussion and then says it is for the European path and we must adopt it," said Špago.

He added that the SDA has certain objections to the proposed law and that it is clearly a compromise, but that the SDA cannot support the urgent procedure.

MP Jasmin Emrić (NES) said that the goal is to adopt laws in this house, especially European ones, but that they have the right and obligation to participate in creating these laws.

"For me, it is unacceptable for such a complex law to be considered under an urgent procedure, but we must be equally involved and have the opportunity to act through amendments, at least under a shortened procedure. Here we also have a transfer of competencies. Some provisions from the current text of the law have been deleted. Work on drafting this law has been ongoing for more than four years. Several working groups have been appointed, and now you force us to decide on such an important law. Please take into account all the comments that have been received. Even the Directorate for European Integration says the law is only partially aligned with the EU acquis. A lot of time was spent preparing the law, and then we get very little time to vote on it," said Emrić.

MPs from the SDP and NIP called on MPs to support the urgent procedure, with subsequent amendments to the law to be initiated.

After the discussion, the request for an urgent procedure received 20 votes from MPs, and the law will be adopted under an urgent procedure.

The head of the EU Delegation, Luigi Soreca, is present in the building of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina. In an informal conversation with journalists in the lobby of the Parliamentary Assembly, Soreca said they are there to monitor the development of the situation.

"I am here, we are waiting, monitoring the development of the situation," he stated, as reported by N1.

During the debate on the law, MPs Emrić and Špago highlighted several contentious details of the law, which also involve the transfer of competencies from the state to entity police, meaning that the RS Ministry of Internal Affairs will have insight into all entries into Bosnia and Herzegovina and crossings of the state border. Compared to the current law, the protective zone from the border line into the depth of the territory is reduced from 300 meters to 50 meters, and in the proposed law, the term "protective zone" no longer exists.

Špago said that the SDA will not support this law.

The discussion on the Law on Border Control has concluded, and Zvizdić announced that a proposal will also be sent to the House of Peoples of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina for it to be considered under an urgent procedure.

The discussion on the Law on Personal Data Protection followed.