Political Blockages Stopping Reforms in Bosnia, CoE Report Warns

In its fifth Evaluation Report on Bosnia and Herzegovina published on Thursday, the Council of Europe's Group of States against Corruption, GRECO, urged authorities in Bosnia to overcome political blockages that are preventing reforms from taking place. 

The reforms are needed to "prevent corruption amongst persons with top executive functions and members of the Border Police and State Investigation and Protection Agency, SIPA", it said.

Pointing to a legal vacuum when it comes to prevention of corruption, as well as that the 2020-2024 Anticorruption Strategy hasn't been updated, GRECO called for "adopting an operational corruption prevention action plan based on a risk assessment, specifically targeting persons with top executive functions".

GRECO pointed out that although being a freshly minted candidate for European Union membership, Bosnia still does not have a state-level anti corruption strategy. 

"Clear guidance regarding conflicts of interest and other integrity-related matters should be developed in a code of conduct for persons with top executive functions," it said. 

Among its recommendations, GRECO states the need for the state-level Agency for Prevention of Corruption and Coordination of the Fight Against Corruption, APIK, to receive adequate financial and human resources "in order to perform their tasks effectively".

When it comes to law enforcement agencies, GRECO recommends that the existing codes of ethics of the Border Police and SIPA should be "supplemented with practical guidance illustrating all issues and risk areas with concrete examples," as well as more gender-balanced representation in all ranks.

GRECO also advised Bosnia's authorities "to ensure that appointments of top police are...