EU Delegation, EU heads of mission issue statement on corruption investigations

The EU Delegation/EUSR and EU heads of mission in BiH issued a statement Tuesday calling on BiH authorities to investigate and bring charges for “any suspected misuse of funds in relation to public procurement.” The text of the statement is below.

Statement of the EU Delegation/EUSR and EU Heads of Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina

  • 02.06.2020.

We expect authorities throughout BiH to duly investigate and bring before the competent courts charges for any suspected misuse of funds in relation to public procurement, including during the response to Covid-19 pandemic.

We expect all authorities to conduct effective investigations, fully in line with fair trial guarantees, based on the principles of rule of law as a key EU value and free from any political pressure or influence. The independence of prosecutors and judges remains essential and must be ensured. Threats and pressures against police and prosecutors are unacceptable.

We call upon the BiH Parliamentary Assembly to align BiH legislation on public procurement with the relevant EU acquis as required under the Opinion, without further delay.