Details

29 October

9.00-9.30 Arrival and registration of participants

09.30-10.15 Welcome speeches

• Dr. Božo Ljubic, Speaker of the House of Representatives, BiH Parliamentary

Assembly

• Peter Sørensen, Head of the Delegation of the European Union and EU

Special Representative in BiH

• Sabina Wölkner, Director, Konrad Adenauer Foundation Office in BiH

• Nina Suomalainen, Acting Head of the OSCE Mission to BiH

10.15-12.00 Constitutional and Legislative Changes - A Necessity or Gesture of

Goodwill?

Moderators:

• Šefik Džaferovic, Chairman of the Constitutional - Legal Committee,

House of Representatives, BiH Parliamentary Assembly

• Krstan Simic, Chairman of the Constitutional - Legal Committee, House of

Peoples, BiH Parliamentary Assembly

Panellists:

• Thomas Markert, Secretary of the Venice Commission, Council of Europe

• Otto Brixi, Member of the Committee on European Affairs and the Committee

on the Constitutional and Legal Affairs, National Council of the

Slovak Republic

• Krasimir Tsipov, Member of the Legal Affairs Committee, National Assembly

of the Republic of Bulgaria

• Peda Grbin, Chairman of the Committee on the Constitution, Standing Orders

and Political System, Croatian Parliament

Discussion Questions

Does the EU have any requirements in terms of local constitutions?

Which constitutional and legislative changes were made in order to

comply with EU and international standards?

How were these changes designed and implemented?

What role did legal experts have in this process?

How was the public involved?

12.00-13.30 Lunch/Press Conference

13.30-15.00 The Role of Parliaments in the EU integration Process – Agents of

Change or Voting Machines?

Moderator:

• Sabina Wölkner, Director, Konrad Adenauer Foundation Office in BiH

Panellists:

• Eduard Kukan, Chair of the Delegation for relations with Albania, Bosnia

and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo, European Parliament

• Michael Brand, Member of the Committee on Human Rights and Humanitarian

Aid, German Bundestag

• Wolfgang Gerstl, Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Constitutional

Issues, National Council, the Austrian Parliament

Discussion Questions

How can parliaments contribute to the overall success of the integration

process?

What is the role of national parliaments in the European multi-level

decision making system?

Does a country’s political impact wane after it becomes an EU member?

15.00-15.30 Break

15.30-16.30 Constitutional and Legislative Changes: Experiences from Slovenia and

Croatia – Issues, Challenges and Solutions

Moderator:

• Thomas Markert, Secretary of the Venice Commission, Council of Europe

Panellists:

• Prof. Siniša Rodin, University of Zagreb

• Roman Jakic, Chairman of the Committee on EU Affairs, the National Assembly

of the Republic of Slovenia

• Ingrid Anticevic Marinovic, Chairwoman of the Legislation Committee,

Croatian Parliament

• Peda Grbin, Chairman of the Committee on the Constitution, Standing Orders

and Political System, Croatian Parliament

Discussion Questions

Which constitutional and legislative changes were made to comply

with EU and international standards?

How were these changes designed and implemented?

What role did legal experts have in the process?

How was the public involved?

19.00-21.00 D i n n e r - J o i n tly hosted by the Constitutional - Legal Committees of

the BiH PA, the OSCE Mission to BiH and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.

Location: Sarajevska Pivnica

Day Three, 30 October

9.30-11.15 C o n s t i t u t i o nal and Legislative Changes: Experiences from Serbia and

BiH – Issues and Challenges

Moderator:

• Andrea Cellino, Director of Policy and Planning Department, OSCE Mission

to BiH

Panellists:

• Doris Pack, Member of the Delegation for relations with Albania, Bosnia

and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo, European Parliament,

European Parliament's Rapporteur on BiH

• Srdan Mikovic, Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Constitutional and

Legislative Issues, National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia

• Zlatko Kneževic, Judge of the Constitutional Court of BiH

• Šefik Džaferovic, Chairman of the Constitutional - Legal Committee,

House of Representatives, BiH Parliamentary Assembly

• Krstan Simic, Chairman of the Constitutional - Legal Committee, House of

Peoples, BiH Parliamentary Assembly

• PhD. Nenad Stojanovic, University of Zurich

Discussion Questions:

What are the critical issues to be addressed?

How are parliaments responding to them?

Are there any plans for constitutional and legislative reform?

How will the public be involved?

What role did legal experts have in this process?

11.15-12.00 Break/Group photo

12.00-13.15 R e c o m m e n d ations: How to Efficiently Harmonize Domestic Legislation

with the EU Acquis Communautaire

Moderator:

• Prof. Siniša Rodin, University of Zagreb

Panellists:

• Andrej Engelman, Secretary, Department of Economic Promotion, Ministry

of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia

• Otto Brixi, Member of the Committee on European Affairs and the Committee

on Constitutional and Legal Affairs, National Council of the Slovak

Republic

• Roman Jakic, Chairman of the Committee on EU Affairs, the National As4

sembly of the Republic of Slovenia

• Ingrid Anticevic Marinovic, Chairwoman of the Legislation Committee,

Croatian Parliament

Discussion Questions:

Which harmonization model was used?

What were the most difficult issues to resolve?

What are the lessons learned and recommendations to be given?

13.15-14.15 Lunch

14.15-15.45

Constitutional and Legislative Changes: Experiences from Macedonia,

Albania and Montenegro – Issues and Challenges

Moderators:

• Krstan Simic, Chair of the Constitutional - Legal Committee, House of

Peoples, BiH Parliamentary Assembly

• Šefik Džaferovic, Chairman of the Constitutional - Legal Committee,

House of Representatives, BiH Parliamentary Assembly

Panellists:

• John Packer, expert, United Nations

• Victor Gumi, MP, Secretary of the Legal Affairs Committee, Parliament of

Albania

• Representative from Montenegro

Discussion Questions:

What are the critical issues to be addressed?

How are parliaments responding to them?

Are there any plans for constitutional and legislative reform?

How will the public be involved?

15.45-16.00 Break

16.00-17.00 The Role of Parliaments in the European Integration Process: Constitutional

and Legislative Changes - Recommendations and Conclusions

Moderators:

• Šefik Džaferovic, Chairman of the Constitutional - Legal Committee,

House of Representatives, BiH Parliamentary Assembly

• Krstan Simic, Chairman of the Constitutional - Legal Committee, House of

Peoples, BiH Parliamentary Assembly

Discussion and Conference Close

Departure of participants/Airport transportation

This event is financially supported by: