Genoveva Ruiz Calavera, Director for the Western Balkans at the Directorate-General for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations of the European Commission, visited BiH today for the first time since taking office. Ms. Calavera is a Spanish national who has served the European Commission for more than two decades.
During her visit, Director Calavera chaired a ministerial meeting of the Structured Dialogue on Justice, which focused in large part on the draft law on BiH Courts.
Director Calavera welcomed the consolidated draft of the Law on BiH Courts prepared by the Working Group chaired by BiH Deputy Minister of Justice Pivić, and positively noticed that the options concerning the issue of criminal jurisdiction are closer than before, in particular thanks to the outcome at the meeting of ministers that took place in Banja Luka last March upon initiative of RS Minister of Justice Kasipović.
The draft was shared with the European Commission and assessed by EU expert. Director Calavera presented to the participants the findings of the EU expert legal analysis of the key features of the draft law. The legal analysis shows that, building on the elements of complementarity and convergence of the options on the table, it is possible to come with a sustainable solution – aiming at improving legal certainty and ensuring a better functioning of the state judiciary. Director Calavera concluded that it is now up to BiH proponents – under Justice Ministers’ political guidance – to reflect on the EU expert’s analysis and finalise the draft Law.
