As a candidate for EU membership, Bosnia and Herzegovina ('BiH') is taking steps to align with EU justice standards, as outlined in several of the 14 key priorities for membership and reaffirmed by the EU Commission in its 2018 Western Balkan Strategy.

While BiH's complex and multi-layered institutional structure presents unique challenges, these same characteristics also offer opportunities for innovative approaches to strengthening the rule of law. The continued focus on judicial reform and enhancing the judicial system remains essential to ensuring the protection of citizens' rights and advancing the fight against corruption and organised crime.

The EU remains a committed partner in supporting BiH's efforts to achieve these goals and to meet the expectations of its citizens for a transparent, effective, and accountable justice system.

The cross-cutting objective of this action is to share practical methods with the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council (the ‘HJPC’) and other Justice Institutions of BiH in order to increase its capacities to implement its mission to ensure independence and professionalism of the judiciary, promote judicial reform, and enhance the country’s response to organised crime and corruption. 

This Action aims at supporting the Justice Sector Institutions in carrying out these changes in order to align the functioning of the BiH judiciary with EU rule of law standards by enhancing professionalism, efficiency and transparency of the BiH justice system for the final benefit of BiH citizens.  

»         Project title: EU 4 Justice – Phase II

»         Implementation dates: 1/12/2022-30/11/2025 

»         Location / intervention areas: Bosnia and Herzegovina – justice sector

»         Partners involved: Consortium composed of Expertise France (lead), IRZ and FIIAPP.

»         Target groups: 

• All Ministries of Justice (‘MoJs’) in BiH, and Brčko District Judicial Commission; 

• The Parliaments; 

• The HJPC, the Integrity Unit within the HJPC Secretariat, and the ODC; 

• All courts and prosecutors' offices in BiH; 

• The judicial and prosecutorial training centres in entities (‘JPTCs’); 

• The reform-oriented professional associations for judges and prosecutors in BiH; 

• The public law faculties and high schools in BiH; 

• The Agency for Prevention of Corruption and Coordination of the Fight against Corruption (‘APIK’) and all other Anti-Corruption bodies in BiH as relevant for the action implementation; 

• The Law Enforcement Agencies (‘LEAs’) in BiH as relevant for the action implementation; 

· The Asset Management Agencies at entities as relevant for the action implementation.

»         Project budget: 4.5M€

»         Project objectives:

The general objective of the Action (impact) is to further align the Justice system of Bosnia and Herzegovina (‘BiH’) with European standards and the EU Acquis through strengthening the rule of law, notably by enhancing the independence, quality, effectiveness, accountability, and efficiency in the justice sector and its results in the fight against corruption. 

The specific objectives (outcomes) of the action are: 

1. The HJPC effectively monitors the justice sector; 

2. Judicial office holders are better trained, controlled and advised on integrity; 

3. Efficiency, transparency and security of the judiciary are improved; 

4. Organised crime and corruption cases are processed more effectively by the judiciary.

»         Expected results and indicators 

-          HJPC’s methodologies and skills in monitoring and evaluation are enhanced (policies, instructions, performance)

-          HJPC’s tools to coordinate donor investment in BiH justice reforms are enhanced

-          The HJPC’s organisation and skills to implement an asset verification system and a counselling mechanism are enhanced

-          Integrity related training schemes are enhanced

-          The HJPC’s tools and skills for career management of JOHs are improved

-          The HJPC’s tools to render the sanction system more efficient and transparent are enhanced

-          The HJPC’s tools and skills to enhance efficiency of the judiciary are improved

-          The HJPC’s tools to improve security in the judiciary are enhanced

-          The HJPC is supported in drafting legislative proposals

-          Judges’ tools and skills to ensure procedural discipline in trials are enhanced

-          Prosecutors’ tools and skills to investigate organised crime and corruption are enhanced

-          Prosecutors’ and police officers’ common tools and skills to jointly investigate organised crime and corruption are enhanced

-          Independence and accountability of JOHs processing high level organised crime and corruption is enhanced