Council of Ministers Adopts Draft Law on Prevention of Conflict of Interest

(Patria) - The BiH Council of Ministers unanimously adopted and will forward to the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH for urgent procedure consideration the new text of the Draft Law on Prevention of Conflict of Interest in institutions at the level of Bosnia and Herzegovina, marked with EI as confirmation of appropriate alignment with European Union legislation and international practice in this area.

By adopting this law, proposed by the Ministry of Justice, one of the 14 priorities in the area of rule of law in BiH's European integration process and one of the key conditions for obtaining candidate status is fulfilled.

The aim of the law is to prevent conflicts of interest in the performance of public duties in institutions at the BiH level, i.e., to eliminate private influences on decision-making, strengthen integrity, objectivity, independence, impartiality, and transparency in the performance of public duties, prevent and combat corruption, and strengthen citizens' trust in the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The proposed law, with a broadly defined conflict of interest in accordance with Council of Europe standards, specifies the obligations and responsibilities of public office holders, incompatibilities in performing other functions or jobs by introducing clear and uniform rules that limit the performance of multiple functions or jobs.

The draft law contains, among other things, provisions on the obligation to submit reports on the financial status and assets of public office holders and their close relatives, verification of the stated data and public disclosure of the register of public office holders and their assets, as well as provisions on the establishment of an independent, autonomous seven-member commission for deciding on conflicts of interest in institutions at the BiH level.

In accordance with the provisions of this law, a public office holder in institutions at the BiH level is obliged to submit to the commission, within 30 days of taking public office, a report on their financial status and assets for themselves and their close relatives, according to the situation on the day of election or appointment, and thereafter on an annual basis, no later than March 31 of the current year for the previous year. Data from the public register of assets of public office holders, their close relatives, and related persons in institutions at the level of Bosnia and Herzegovina will be published on the official website of the commission, in accordance with applicable personal data protection regulations.