The Director for the Western Balkans at the European Commission, Mr. Pierre Mirel, hosted yesterday morning (Monday 30 January) a technical consultation organised in the framework of the EU-BiH Structured Dialogue on Justice with the President of the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council (HJPC), Mr. Milorad Novkovic, and the Minister of Justice of Republika Srpska, Mr. Dzerard Selman. The meeting was gathered to discuss the process of harmonisation of the Law on Courts of Republika Srpska with relevant HJPC recommendations.

This round of clarificatory talks was convened on the basis of the high level agreement reached upon inauguration of the Structured Dialogue back in June 2011, according to which legislative, institutional and procedural changes that would affect the work of judicial institutions throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina shall be consulted with European Commission services.

Director Mirel confirmed that the parties demonstrated a genuine engagement and spirit of mutual understanding, which paved the way for a very constructive exchange of views on all pending technical aspects of the Law on Courts of Republika Srpska. All residual issues stemming from the last round of recommendations by HJPC were discussed. Parties agreed on how to technically recompose all pre-existing differing views. The Commission is confident that competent authorities will find proper solutions in the spirit of the dialogue.