The Senior Deputy High Representative, Ambassador Matthias Sonn, today met with five members of the Collegia of both Houses of the BiH Parliament insludig the Chairs and Deputy Chairs of the Houses: Zeljko Mirjanic, Sead Avdic, Mariofil Ljubic, Ilija Simic and Nikola Spiric - to discuss the work of the Parliamentary Assembly in the upcoming period.

Referring to the growing amount of legislation pending before the Parliament, the Senior Deputy High Representative underlined the necessity for the Parliament to urgently adopt key legislation. He said the recent adoption of the Election Law should mark the beginning of a period of hard work aimed at driving forward this issue, which has been delayed unnecessarily and for too long.

As the Senior Deputy High Representative reminded the Collegia members, key economic legislation, among which are laws mentioned in the "EU Road Map" as requirements for BiH's integration into EU structures, remain blocked. This list includes the CIPS laws, draft laws on competition, on consumer protection, on industrial ownership and on a BiH Foreign Trade Chamber.

The Senior Deputy High Representative stressed that Bosnia and Herzegovina has no time to waste if it wants to catch up with other European countries in transition. International funds as well as donors' patience are running out. Significant progress in establishing the legislative framework that BiH needs, is the basis for support for BiH.