The Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina unanimously adopted and will send to the Parliament in an urgent procedure a new text of the Law on the Prevention of Conflict of Interest in Institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The law is harmonised with the legislation of the European Union and international practice in that area.

The adoption of this law, proposed by the Ministry of Justice, fulfills one of the 14 priorities in the the rule of law area set before the country by the European Commission. Also, it is one of the laws that the Bosnian authorities are expected to pass in order to open the accession talks with the European Union.

The aim of the law is to prevent conflicts of interest in the performance of public duties in the institutions at the state level, that is, to remove private influences on decision-making, to strengthen integrity, objectivity, independence, impartiality and transparency in the performance of public duties, to prevent and fight against corruption, and to strengthen citizens’ trust in institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, according to a press release issued by the Council of Ministers.

The proposed law, in addition to a broadly defined conflict of interest in accordance with Council of Europe standards, specifies the obligations and responsibilities of public office holders, incompatibilities in the performance of another positions or job by introducing clear and unique rules that limit the performance of multiple positions or jobs.