The House of Peoples of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) entity Parliament adopted the Southern Interconnection Law on Thursday with 51 votes in favour, 14 against, and 4 abstentions.

The law pertains to the “Southern Interconnection Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia” gas pipeline project, designed to establish a new gas supply route connecting BiH with Croatia. This infrastructure project aims to enhance Bosnia's energy independence by reducing its reliance on Russian gas imports.

During the sixth extraordinary session of the current mandate, the House of Peoples decided by majority vote to consider the proposed law under an expedited procedure. Initially listed as the last agenda item, the proposal was moved to second place for priority discussion.

The law was put forward by Bosniak delegates, who advocated for urgent debate and decision-making. However, the Croat caucus requested a slower legislative process, citing the importance of such a significant project and the need to obtain an opinion from the FBiH Government. Bosniak delegates countered by stating that the government had already been asked for its opinion but had not provided it yet.

Ultimately, the expedited procedure proposed by the Bosniak delegates was approved, and the Southern Interconnection Law was moved up the agenda.

During the session, the mandate of newly appointed delegate Ivana Buntic Jovanovic was verified, and she took the oath of office. Additionally, the FBiH government’s proposal for a Draft Law on Fiscalization was included in the agenda and received majority support.

US urges FBiH House of Peoples to support Law on Southern Interconnection

The Southern Interconnection Law, as presented to the House of Peoples, was identical to the text approved by the FBiH House of Representatives in its session held last month. Advocates of the project emphasized its potential to bolster energy independence by providing a new gas supply route from the West.

Specifically, the law envisions the construction of a gas pipeline connecting BiH to Croatia, linked to the liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal on the Croatian island of Krk, and subsequently to European gas networks. The pipeline would traverse western Herzegovina and extend into central Bosnia. The public company BH-Gas has been designated as the lead implementer of the project.

For the project to proceed, the law must receive approval in identical form from both houses of the FBiH Parliament.