Parliamentarians Discover: EU Delegation Has One Stance on Paper, Another in Informal Talks on Adopting ZOSPI

(Patria) - The Bill on Freedom of Access to Information has caused a heated debate in the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH, with some representatives even involving the Delegation of the European Union, claiming they have different approaches to this law in official and unofficial communication.

The biggest problem was caused by the part stipulating that the appellate body is the Appellate Board of the Council of Ministers, which should act on appeals if institutions deny access or prevent access to information.

SDA representative Šerif Špago proposed an amendment to resolve this issue. However, Saša Magazinović, an SDP representative, explained the origin of this amendment.

He stated that the EU, in an official letter, indicated that the Law should be adopted along with the amendment, while parliamentarians unofficially received messages to adopt the Law even if the amendment was not accepted.

"Colleague Špago is right when he says that we received a letter from the EU Delegation requesting a correction to the law in one article, and they prepared these amendments and went from one representative to another to see who would propose them. In the end, colleague Špago proposed the amendments, and these are not his amendments but the amendments of the European Union Delegation. It is also true that the letter sent to us states that for the law to be in line with the EU acquis and relevant international standards, and to make concrete progress on the European path, this proposal should be considered and adopted," said Magazinović.

He then added that what could not be read in public is that the same people who say that this is currently not in line with the acquis and international standards are calling from the EU Delegation to adopt the law even without this amendment.

"What is present in public is this letter, and what is not present in public is that the same people who sent the letter say to adopt the law, and there is a trace of this. The law of the Council of Ministers is condemned in public, and then, outside of public view, they say to vote for this law. When we vote for this Law, they will say we adopted the law contrary to EU standards. We will not play like this. Next time, when such a situation occurs, we will state it publicly. This is not the first time something is challenged in public, statements are sent, and we are suggested otherwise," Magazinović sharply stated, adding that he will not be the one to justify himself to journalists.

He stated that he does not want to be a guarantor of anyone's story, not even the EU Delegation's, and that every time he is in a situation where something that is not right is being adopted, he will go public and communicate.

Safet Kešo from SDA said he appreciates Magazinović's honesty and that the finding that there are two different opinions – one clear and signed, and another that reached some representatives – is shocking. Kešo asked if this means the EU is showing two faces.

Branislav Borenović from PDP added that he is shocked by Magazinović's words and that there are clearly official and unofficial communications.

"The question is, what is more valid: what came as an official stance and proposal from the EU Delegation, which is aligned with European standards, or what is conveyed through unofficial communication. This undermines the process of adopting important laws. I ask, are we adopting the law for the sake of its name or its content? Let us know the stance: is this law aligned with the acquis or not?" Borenović asked.

Sanja Vulić from SNSD said she agrees with Magazinović that no one should play games with the Parliament and that no one should be allowed to humiliate deputies, considering that they are accountable to citizens, not to Sattler or anyone else.

"We are committed to fulfilling the priorities on the path to the EU, but that does not mean that someone will impose their intelligence on us and dictate how we will create laws. No one disputes that they should be aligned with European directives, but not in the way Mr. Sattler thinks. For the public, and for what colleague Borenović said, I want to say that the SNSD parliamentary group officially received Mr. Sattler's letter by email, and we said then that Sattler is not the one who will dictate our intelligence, nor are we material that can be processed according to his interests and standards," Vulić said.

DF representative Zlatan Begić said that the DF Club will not support this law.

Naša stranka representative Sabina Ćudić said that the EU has not shown two faces but 27 faces, and that she also has a problem with this law.