The importance of judicial reform for Bosnia and Herzegovina’s EU path, as well as the strong partnership between the EU and High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina (HJPC BiH) in achieving progress were key conclusions of today’s meeting of the Head of the EU Delegation/EU Special Representative Johann Sattler with the President of the HJPC of BiH, Halil Lagumdžija and the Director of the HJPC Secretariat, Admir Suljagic, held in the EU Delegation.
The importance of judicial reform for Bosnia and Herzegovina’s EU path, as well as the strong partnership between the EU and High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina (HJPC BiH) in achieving progress were key conclusions of today’s meeting of the Head of the EU Delegation/EU Special Representative Johann Sattler with the President of the HJPC of BiH, Halil Lagumdžija and the Director of the HJPC Secretariat, Admir Suljagic, held in the EU Delegation.
Referring to the recently adopted amendments to the Law on the HJPC of BiH, Ambassador Sattler pointed out the need for the HJPC to step up its work to ensure the full implementaion of the new legislative provisions. Ambassador Sattler also underlined that the EU is providing substantial support to the HJPC BiH in implementing the reforms.
The HJPC President Lagumdzija expressed the readiness of the HJPC to implement all agreed activities related to judicial reform. With the support of the projects “EU support to BiH’s justice reforms” and “EU4Justice” (EU funded projects), the HJPC BiH Secretariat is developing an Action Plan for the implementation of the adopted amendments to the Law on the HJPC of BiH.
Ambassador Sattler and HJPC President Lagumdžija agreed on the importance of application of all relevant EU and international standards, notably Venice Commission recommendations, in the process of drafting the new Law on HJPC, with the aim to preserve the independence of the judiciary in BiH and ensure legal certainty.
It was emphasised by the interlocutors that the European Union remains a strong partner of the HJPC BiH in establishing a functional and efficient judicial system that will operate in the best interests of all citizens in Bosnia and Herzegovina.