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Harmonizing and Replacing Entity Legislation in Brcko District
16.07.2003 11:52:00 OHR

Harmonizing and Replacing Entity Legislation in Brcko District

Brcko Supervisor Henry Clarke today issued a new Supervisory Order advancing the process of harmonizing and replacing Entity legislation in Brcko District.   New Entity legislation, and new amendments to existing Entity legislation, will no longer be applicable in Brcko District, unless the District Assembly enacts this legislation as Brcko District law.   The Brcko District Government may, as it deems necessary, replace Entity regulations with its own.  Finally, the District Government will prepare an inventory of Entity legislation still in use within the District, so that a plan can be prepared for replacing it.

The Final Award of the Brcko Tribunal established Brcko District as a self-governing territory in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with administrative, legislative and judicial powers.   The Award requires the Brcko Supervisor to create a body of laws that will be applicable throughout the District, replacing the existing Entity legislation which applies on one side or the other of the former inter-entity boundary line.  Many Brcko District laws have been enacted, but not enough to replace all Entity legislation in use in the District. 

It is expected that many of the existing laws will be converted into Brcko laws with little or no change, but this will not be known for certain until after the inventory is complete.   This process, replacing a large body of Brcko District legislation, will require hard work by the District Government, the Assembly, and OHR in Brcko. It will not have an immediate impact upon the public, either in the District or in the Entities.