LAW ON PREVENTING SPORT VIOLENCE IN BOSNIA TO BE ADOPTED

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (October 15,2007) – The Bosnian House of Representatives considered the second reading of the Proposal of the Law on Sport in Bosnia, but did not vote on it.

Since a number of amendments have been submitted to this law, the House of Representatives established a three-member working group, which should reach an agreement in the coming days on the proposed amendments with the delegates who tabled these amendments and the representatives of the Bosnian Government.

The Bosnian Civil Affairs Minister Sredoje Nović said that one should not think that the propose law on sport will be able to resolve all problems in this field. He thinks that a special law on preventing sport violence should be adopted.

“We have tried to develop a law on sport which can satisfy the interests of Bosnia and athletes, but also one that would respect the constitutional structure of Bosnia. I shall be sorry if the law on sport is not adopted, not because of me, or the Bosnian Council of Ministers, but because of thousands of athletes in Bosnia who are waiting for this law to be adopted”, Minister Nović said.

The Bosnian House of Representatives adopted the Proposal of the Law amending and changing the Law on Police Officials in Bosnia and the Proposal of the Law on the Bosnian State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) in the first reading.

The proposed laws changing and amending the Law on Ministries and other Bosnian state Institutions, the Law on the Bosnian Council of Ministers and the Law on Bosnian Excises have been also adopted.

The Proposal of the Law on the establishment of the Bureau for the implementation of criminal sanctions, detention and other measures was considered in the first reading, but did not get the required entity majority support.

The House of Representatives also adopted in urgent procedure the Proposal of the Law changing and amending the Bosnian Law on the Implementation of Criminal Sanctions, Detention and Other Measures and the Proposal of the Law changing and amending the Law on Travel Documents. These laws were endorsed earlier by the International Community's High Representative in Bosnia.

The House of Representatives also adopted reports of the joint commission of both houses on the agreed texts of the Law on the Agency for Preschool, Elementary and Secondary Education, the Framework Law on Preschool Education and the Law on Radiation and Nuclear Security in Bosnia.

It also adopted the report on the Bosnian State Commission for reviewing decision on granting citizenship to foreign nationals between January 31 and July 31 2007, the report of the Bosnian Audit Office on audits carried out in BiH institutions in 2006 and the proposal of conclusions by the Bosnian Joint Commission for Defence and Security for resolving the issue of surplus small arms and light weapons and ammunition in Bosnia, as well as for resolving problems in the work of the Bosnian Border Police.