The Twinning Project Enhancing the role of Parliaments in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the EU Integration Context was officially launched

The Hungarian National Assembly, in partnership with the French National Assembly and with the support of 10 other parliaments of Member States of the European Union, has won the tender launched by the European Union for the twinning project Enhancing the role of Parliaments in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the EU Integration Context.

The official opening of the twinning project was held on 11 March 2014 with participation of the highest dignities of the cooperating parliaments:

Mr. Dragan Čović, Speaker of the PABiH House of Peoples

Mr. Božo Ljubić, First Deputy Speaker of the PABiH House of Representatives

Mr. László Kövér, Speaker of the Hungarian National Assembly

Mr. Marcel Rogemont, Chairman of the Friendship Group in the French National Assembly

Mr. Tomislav Martinović, Speaker of the PFBiH House of Peoples

Mr. Tomo Vidović, Acting Speaker of the PFBiH House of Representatives

Mr. Igor Radojičić, Speaker of the National Assembly of Republika Srpska

Mr. Đorđa Kojić, Speaker of the Brčko District Assembly.

On the event H.E. Ambassador Peter Sørensen, Head of the EU Delegation to Bosnia and Herzegovina and EU Special Representative gave the introductory speech as representative of the financing institution.

The implementation of the project – which is the largest ever parliamentary twinning project of the EU – started on 1st February 2014 and lasts for 24 months: it is financed by the European Union disposing of a budget of three and a half million euros and is implemented in the following seven main components:

1.Strengthening capacities for strategic guidance of the EU accession process and dialogue with the European Parliament

2.Enhancing the mechanisms and capacity for legislative alignment

3.Enhancing the mechanism for oversight of the government, of supervisory and regulatory bodies and improving cooperation with government on the EU accession process

4.Increasing participation of civil society and visibility of the role of Parliaments in the EU accession process

5.Developing regular cooperation and coordination among the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Parliament of Republika Srpska, Parliament of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Brčko District Assembly on EU-related issues

6.Raising capacity of MPs and parliamentary staff

7.Improving internal resources management

On a bilateral level, this twinning results in a further deepening of the relations between Hungary, France and Bosnia-Herzegovina, with about 150 missions of EU parliamentary experts to Sarajevo, Banja Luka and Brčko in the course of 2014 and 2015, and several study visits and internships of the parliaments of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Hungary, France and other EU Member States.

Parliamentary Assembly of
Bosnia and Herzegovina

Parliament of the Federation of
Bosnia and Herzegovina

National Assembly of
Republika Srpska

Brčko District Assembly

Hungarian National
Assembly

The Project is implemented by the Consortium of

National Assembly
of France