Closing Ceremony of the Twinning Project

The closing ceremony of the EU funded Twinning Project EU support to the Parliaments of BiH in EU integration tasks took place in the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina with the participation of Speakers and representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina; the Parliament of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina; the National Assembly of Republika Srpska; the Brčko District Assembly and the Delegation of the European Union to Bosnia and Herzegovina; and, on behalf of the implementing Consortium, the Speakers of the Hungarian National Assembly, Austrian Parliament and Croatian Parliament.

The 30-month EU Project assisted the Parliaments in fulfilling their tasks related to EU integration, focusing especially on the following fields: 
-    strengthening the EU expertise of the administration of the Parliaments;
-    intensifying the cooperation among Parliaments of BiH in EU-related issues;
-    enhancing the role of Parliaments in EU-related communication with the public;
-    strengthening the law approximation skills and capacities of the BiH Parliaments;
-    supporting the Cantonal Assemblies to ensure their engagement in the EU integration process.

Addresses were delivered by:
-    Mr. László Kövér, Speaker of the Hungarian National Assembly, Mr. Wolfgang Sobotka, President of the National Council of Austria and Mr. Marko Pavić, Chair of the Committee on Regional Development and European Union Funds of the Croatian Parliament on behalf of the implementing Consortium; 
-    Mr. Dragan Čović, First Deputy Speaker of PABiH House of Peoples, Mr. Denis Zvizdić, Speaker of the PABiH House of Representatives, Mr. Tomislav Martinović, Speaker of the PFBiH House of Peoples, Mr. Mirsad Zaimović, Speaker of the PFBiH House of Representatives, Mr. Nedeljko Čubrilović, President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Srpska and Mr. Siniša Milić, Speaker of the Brčko District Assembly on behalf of the Beneficiary Parliaments.
-    Ms. Ekaterina Dorodnova, Deputy Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Bosnia and Herzegovina

Highlights on the main project results and achievements:

    Priority Plan for Parliaments of BiH for accelerating the European integration process was endorsed by each BiH Parliament in line with their internal regulations after Joint Statement on the support of the Priority Plan was signed by all Speakers and Deputy Speakers of the four BiH Parliaments. The Priority Plan for Parliaments is a strategic document aiming to address the most urging comprehensive tasks in key areas of parliamentary functioning to make the BiH Parliaments – as key actors – capable to provide strategic guidance of the EU integration process of Bosnia and Herzegovina;
    Customized Action Plans including concrete tasks and measures for enhancing the role of Parliaments in the EU accession process for each of the 4 Beneficiary Parliaments were revised and updated; 
    Tailor made EU Communication Action Plan was prepared for each Parliament;
    30 pilot information activity were implemented, among them 19 printed materials for MPs and for broader public were prepared, and the electronic EU Resource Centre for BiH Parliaments was launched (all of these are available on the Project’s website)
    61 specific consultation workshops and on-the-job-trainings were conducted in the four BiH Parliaments;
    17 draft laws were examined in the frame on-the-job trainings from legal approximation and legal drafting point of view;
    19 parliamentary EU cooperation events were organized with the involvement of Speakers, Committee Chairpersons, Member of Parliament and various levels of the parliamentary administration;
    Common Action Plan for the Cantonal Assemblies was endorsed and signed by all ten Speakers of Cantonal Assemblies;
    Complete training programme with 14 training activities was delivered to Cantonal Assemblies.
    6 study visits were organized to EU Member States to provide opportunities for the Beneficiary partners to get familiar with best EU practices in various fields of parliamentary functioning