Legislation of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Law on copyright and related rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Law on the Collective Management of Copyright and Related Rights in Bosnia

Law on Prohibition of Discrimination (Official Gazette of Bosnia and Herzegovina No. 59/09 - 29.07. 2009)

Law on Permanent and Temporary Residence of Citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Official Gazette of Bosnia and Herzegovina no. 32)

Bosnia and Herzegovina Aviation Law (Official Gazette of Bosnia and Herzegovina no 39/09)

Law on Air Navigation Services Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Official Gazette of Bosnia and Herzegovina no. 43/09)

Bylaw on Provision of Assurances of the Citizenship of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Official Gazette of Bosnia and Herzegovina No. 7/14 - 28.01.2014)

Bylaw on Specified Evidence of Eligibility for Acquisition of the Citizenship of Bosnia and Herzegovina through Naturalization or Facilitated Naturalization (Official Gazette of Bosnia and Herzegovina No. 7/14 - 28.01.2014)

Bylaw on Keeping Records of Acquisition and Cessation of the Citizenship of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Official Gazette of Bosnia and Herzegovina No. 7/14 - 28.01.2014)

Bylaw on travel documents for refugees (Official Gazette of Bosnia and Herzegovina No.80/09)

Bylaw on Travel Documents for Stateless Persons (Official Gazette of Bosnia and Herzegovina No.80/09)

Bylaw on Laissez-passer for Aliens (Official Gazette of Bosnia and Herzegovina No.80/09)

Law on market surveillance in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Official Gazette of Bosnia and Herzegovina no 45/04)

The law on accounting and auditing of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Official Gazette of Federation Bosnia and Herzegovina no 83/09)

Law on prevention and suppression of the abuse of narcotic drugs (Official Gazette of Bosnia and Herzegovina no 8/06)

Law on public Enterprises of Brčko District of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Law on public Enterprises in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Law on public Enterprises of Republika Srpska

Law establishing the company for the transmission of electric power in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Law on control of foreign trade of goods and services of strategic importance for the security of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Law on production of weapons and military equipment

Law on insurance agency in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Law on Public Procurement for Bosnia and Herzegovina

Incentives for small business development incentive in Sarajevo Canton

Regulation on plastic materials and articles intended to come into contact with food

Framework Law on Registration of Business Entities of BiH (Official Gazette of Bosnia and Herzegovina No. 42/04)

Law on Foreign Investments RS (Official Gazette of RS No. 25/02, 24/04, 52/11 and 68/13)

FBiH Law on Foreign Investments (Official Gazette of FBiH No. 61/01, 50/03 and 77/15)

Law on Value Added Tax of BiH - (Official Gazette Bosnia and Herzegovina no. 09/05, 35/05 and 100/08)

Law on Amendments and Supplements to the Law on Value Added Tax of BiH - (Official Gazette B&H No 35/05)

Law on Free Zones of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Official Gazette Bosnia and Herzegovina 99/09)

FBiH Law on Free Zones - (Official Gazette of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina 2/95)

FBiH Law on Amending of the Law on Free Zones - (Official Gazette of Federation Bosnia and Herzegovina 37/04)

Customs Policy Law of BiH (Official Gazette of Bosnia and Herzegovina No. 57/04, 51/06, 93/08, 54/10 and 76/11)

At what level do laws exist in Bosnia and Herzegovina?
Laws at the state level of Bosnia and Herzegovina, then entity laws, namely: laws of the Federation of BiH, laws of the Republic of Srpska, laws of the Brcko District of BiH, laws at the cantonal level.

How is a law adopted at the level of Bosnia and Herzegovina?
A draft law can be submitted by any representative/delegate, commissions of parliaments, joint commissions of both parliaments, parliaments, as well as the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, within their competences. The draft law is submitted to the chairman of the parliament, who immediately submits it to the collegium of the parliament. The collegium submits the draft law to the constitutional-legal commission for the purpose of giving an opinion on the law, and after deciding which commission is competent, to the competent commission, too. Then follows the first commission phase, first reading, second commission phase, second reading, harmonization of the law.

What is the procedure for passing laws at the level of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina?
In the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the legislative power is exercised by the FBiH Parliament, which consists of the House of Representatives and the House of Peoples. The executive power is exercised by the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina president (and two vice-presidents) and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Government. The legislative procedure can be divided into two phases: the phase before entity governments and the phase before entity parliaments. The functions of the entity governments are to take care of the functions of the executive power in the territory of the entity within their competence. We must not forget that there are also lower levels of government in the entities that also exercise power. So in Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina we have cantons, towns and municipalities. At the head of entity governments are prime ministers, who have been nominated for that position by the president of the entity, and who have been elected to that position by the entity parliaments.

How are laws made in Bosnia and Herzegovina?
All legislation requires the approval of both chambers. All decisions in both chambers shall be by majority of those present and voting. Best efforts shall be made to include at least one-third of the votes of delegates or members from each territory or entity, cf. the Constitution Article IV, 3 (d).

Who makes the laws in Bosnia and Herzegovina?
The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina is a compound entity, divided into 10 cantons. There is the Constitution of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which prescribes that legislative authority in Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina resides with the Parliament, which consists of the House of Representatives and the House of People.