In an era where human contact is made more complicated, where emotions pass through machines and where fear replaces hope, the EU4Justice project reinvents itself but preserves the human values that shape its DNA.
The Project Team with international and national experts mobilized on the Project underlined the quality of relations established with partner institutions and beneficiaries. Since the Covid-19 pandemic was declared in March 2020, the Project Team based in Sarajevo with the EU experts had to reinvent the Project’s work in such a way which would allow for the continuation of its work on enhancing the effectiveness, integrity, and professionalism with judges, prosecutors and police investigators in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). As our work continues in new conditions, we will keep on sharing the values of humanity, dialogue and respect, admittedly conducting our activities now through videoconference.
We have reached out to the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina this past autumn informing them on their core rights as the injured party in criminal proceedings in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
We intend to continue working with the entire justice chain in criminal matters in BiH withfocus onComponent 4 – Improve the current practices and the results in the matters of seizure and confiscation of criminal assets and Component 5 – Improve the access to criminal cases of the investigation services, prosecutors’ offices and courts. Our expert teams are already in communication with project beneficiaries on these issues. However, we are also continuing our work on highlighting the important topics for the judiciary, in particular with the slant on ethics and integrity and management of Prosecutors’ Offices to strengthen the efficiency of the financial and related corruption criminal investigations and disciplinary matters.
All stakeholders remain committed to playing their roles in strengthening awareness and a culture of integrity and transparency in the BiH justice sector. The EU4Justice project will work on those processes, but the fight against corruption has a long way ahead. This should diffuse in commonly shared values, in a common European culture funding this cooperation.
I would also like to salute the work of Ms Isabelle Arnal who has been called to other functions and has left a strong legacy. Change can be worrisome, but I also always see it as a source of progress.
Damien Romestant
Team Leader
December 2020
