On Thursday, lawmakers in Bosnia’s autonomous Republika Srpska passed a draft law that labels non-governmental organizations (NGOs), which receive foreign funding, as ‘foreign agents’. This decision has raised concerns in the EU. Under the Special Registry and Publicity of the Work of Non-Profit Organizations draft law, NGOs will now be required to inscribe onto a special register, despite objections from domestic opposition, civic organizations and Western diplomats. This information comes from JURIST – News.
In a statement by the EU, they noted that the final adoption of the law would directly contradict the commitments made by the Republika Srpska leadership to advance Bosnia and Herzegovina’s European integration, particularly in regards to civil society and freedom of expression and media. The EU’s lead spokesperson for foreign affairs and security policy, Peter Stano, expressed his concern about the draft law and other legislative initiatives in the Republika Srpska.
President of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik, announced the law in early March, as part of a series of controversial laws introduced and passed in the autonomous region. Previously, on June 27, the Republika Srpska National Assembly (RSNA) passed a contentious law disregarding decisions from Bosnia and Herzegovina’s constitutional court. Dodik claimed that the constitutional court violated the Constitution due to their decision to delete Article 39 of the court’s rules. This article stipulated the postponement of the session when at least one judge elected by the RSNA was not present.
This draft law has raised alarm bells with a coalition of human rights experts, who warned of its “serious deficiencies.” They expressed worry that the law could effectively lead to a ban on NGO activities and presence in the autonomous region. The language contained in the law may be in violation of protections on the freedom of association and proportionality, and the experts consequently urged the authorities to reconsider its adoption.
Bosnia and Herzegovina is a country made up of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republika Srpska, which largely contain ethnic Bosniaks and Serbs respectively. Dodik has been actively calling for the independence of the Republika Srpska.