The Steering Committee of the Project “EU Support to Implement Law in BiH”, which is financed by the EU, held a session yesterday where it summarized the results of the project and defined courses of action.
The General Secretary of the Ministry of Security Bakir Dautbašić said at the conference to journalists that it is one of the most important projects of the Ministry.
Dautbašić said that the Steering Committee adopted a plan of activities for the period of January-September 2013, which includes cooperation with all police agencies and institutions involved in the project, and which expressed their gratitude to the participants and results of the project.
He said that the fundamental goal of the project is the improvement of BiH legislation, strengthening cooperation between the judiciary and police cooperation in the fight against organized crime and corruption, and bringing BiH institutions in law enforcement closer to EU standards.
The Head of Operations of the EU Delegation in BiH Holger Schroeder said that the support of the EU goes beyond the broad sectors of law enforcement because it is not only about supporting the work of the agencies for law enforcement, but also supporting civil society.
The leader of the project team Karl Lesjak said that with the project, they wish to help in improving legislation, capacity and capabilities of law enforcement authorities, institutions and agencies in BiH that work to strengthen cooperation and coordination in the area of law enforcement. They wish to continue implementing police reform in accordance with the laws, contribute to a decrease in corruption and organized crime and thus reduce the threat to society. They would strengthen cooperation and coordination between police and prosecutors for a more effective fight against corruption and organized crime.
He pointed to the importance of defining priorities in the fight against corruption, establishment of databases, exchanging information and training and equipping police authorities, as well as using the experience of other countries on their way to the EU, establish communications network to exchange information with neighboring countries in order to detect people who may pose a threat to the country and citizens.
The importance of establishing appropriate structures for confiscating illegally acquired assets and support for establishing an office for drugs was noted.
The project is worth around 7 million euros and is financed through the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA 2010). It will be continued through 30 April 2014.
