OHR requests that the Law on Civil Service of the FBiH not be adopted under urgent procedure

The proposed amendments to the Law on Civil Service of the FBiH, which the Federation Parliament will consider tomorrow, could jeopardize the integrity, reliability and political neutrality of the civil service in the Federation, as already noted by the European Commission, reports the Bosnian news agency Patria.

- Bearing in mind the importance of this issue, the amendments in question should not be considered in Parliament under urgent procedure, but sufficient time and space should be given to ensure that any changes improve the efficiency and professionalism of the civil service.

The long-standing and well-known position of the OHR is that the civil service should be professional, efficient and politically neutral, and that the recruitment of senior civil servants must be transparent and based on qualifications, and efforts to achieve these goals are welcome.

We strongly appeal to the deputies in the FBiH Parliament to take steps to have these amendments considered under regular procedure, thus enabling an open public debate and ensuring that the reform improves the quality, transparency and cost-effectiveness of the civil service, rather than weakening it.