Today, the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina adopted the Draft Law on Amendments to the Law on Foreigners and the Draft Law on the Organization of the Wine Market in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Both legal proposals are labeled EI, as a confirmation of compliance with the EU legal acquis, and they were established and referred to the parliamentary procedure with a request for urgent consideration by the Council of Ministers after the agreement of the leaders of the parliamentary majority at the BiH level, reached at a meeting in East Sarajevo to unblock the European path BiH.
The draft law on amendments to the Law on Aliens envisages the adoption of four EU regulations/directives in the field of migration adopted in the period from 2016 to 2021.
Amendments to the law aim to facilitate the stay of digital nomads in BiH, and the intention of the Council of Ministers, which is the proposer of the law, is to further extend their stay in BiH.
Amendments to the law also refer to the areas of issuing visas, permanent residence, temporary residence of foreigners in BiH based on family reunification, education, scientific research, participation in an exchange program or educational project, professional practice, volunteering, employment of highly qualified workers, and work on the basis of a blue card, as well as on the basis of humanitarian reasons.
Amendments to the Law on Foreigners simultaneously amend certain provisions in order to facilitate their application and eliminate ambiguities in practice.
The proposal of the law on the organization of the wine market in BiH establishes the principles of the organization of the wine market in BiH and specifies the provisions on the production of grapes and wine.
A significant part of the Law refers to the systematic regulation of areas related to designations of origin and geographical origin, as well as to labeling, presentation and advertising of winemaking products, as well as to placing these products on the market, their supervision and control, including provisions on organic wines, flavored wine products and fruit wines.
The new law, along with which a correction of a technical nature was also adopted at the proposal of the Club of SNSD deputies, enables the establishment of a vineyard-wine registry, which represents the basis for the revival and further development of this sector in BiH.
It is defined that within 12 months from the entry into force of the Law, appropriate regulations in this area will be adopted, which leaves enough time so that domestic producers are not prevented from exporting after November 2024, which the European Commission has set as the deadline for harmonization. legislation in BiH in the field of wine and viticulture with EU standards.
The statement on the Proposal for a resolution on preventing all forms of violence against women and harassment of women in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which was submitted to the House of Representatives by SDP deputies, was postponed until the next session, in order to harmonize the proposed amendments.
The vote ended today’s emergency session of the House of Representatives, and in order for the adopted legal proposals to enter into force, they must also be adopted by the House of Peoples of the Parliamentary Assembly.
