Independent EU Rule of Law Expert Reinhard Priebe Back in Sarajevo

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - Reinhard Priebe, an experienced rule of law expert and former director in the European Commission, is back in Sarajevo as part of an analysis of the judiciary in BiH, the Patria News Agency has learned. Priebe was already in BiH at the beginning of April, where he held several meetings with members of the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council.

As previously announced by the EU Delegation regarding Priebe's visit to BiH, the European Commission has launched a new initiative to monitor the entire rule of law system in Bosnia and Herzegovina, from law enforcement agencies to courts.

"The initiative will focus on monitoring and assessing the effective implementation of rule of law reforms and strengthening accountability in the rule of law chain in BiH, with full respect for judicial independence. The rule of law is key to the enlargement process and is at the heart of the ongoing preparation of the European Commission's Opinion on BiH's request for EU membership," the EU Delegation stated.

The initiative will last until November 2019. The Rule of Law Initiative will conclude with a comprehensive "Rule of Law Convention," planned for autumn, which will bring together institutions from all levels of government, civil society, and the academic community from all parts of the country. Priebe is leading this Initiative, and at the end, a report and recommendations regarding the rule of law will be presented and will be the subject of discussion at the meeting of the Subcommittee on Justice, Freedom, and Security of the Stabilization and Association Agreement at the end of 2019.