RCC: Regional 3-year plan of activities and processes in the area of justice agreed at the meeting of the Working Group on Justice

6th meeting of the Working Group on Justice, held in Belgrade on 9 November 2016 under auspices of the Regional Cooperation Council (Photo: RCC/Elvira Ademovic)

6th meeting of the Working Group on Justice, held in Belgrade on 9 November 2016 under auspices of the Regional Cooperation Council (Photo: RCC/Elvira Ademovic)

Sarajevo/Belgrade – Justice ministries from the region initially agreed on the framework plan of action for the coming 3-year period, as proposed by the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) at the 6th meeting of the Working Group on Justice, held in Belgrade on 9 November 2016.

„The part of the RCC’s Strategy and Work Programme 2017-2019 pertaining to justice reflects suggestions of the European Commission (EC) for the EU membership candidates and aspirants. However, the regional action plan is tailored to address regional realities in terms of implementation“, said Ivana Goranic, RCC’s Rule of Law Expert - Justice and Home Affairs.

The focus of the action plan 2017-2019 is put on enhancement of legal assistance between judiciaries in the region, creation of new and strengthening of the existing judicial networks, and reduction of court backlogs in the region.

“Although judicial reform is internal matter of the individual economies dealt directly with the European Commission in the framework of the EU approximation process, still the success of all required reforms is significantly helped by peer support, regional networking and capacity building through exchange of information and regionally organised trainings. The important goal of our activities is not to burden administrations with additional work but to support them through regional activities in fulfilling benchmarks given by the EC, keeping in mind that judiciary is in national domain”, Goranic explained the envisaged action plan.

The Assistant Justice Ministers and directors who took part in the meeting heard and evaluated the RCC’s report on activities in the area of justice for period 2014-2016 and initially approved the new action plan, thus setting the framework, which still has to undergo further elaboration and gaining governmental approval and commitment procedure in all participating economies before the implementation itself, which should commence in 2017.

The Working Group participants have also discussed and approved proposed specific RCC’s activities and expected results for the next year, exchanged ideas and finally defined the future structure and roles of the already established regional networks – on judicial training and mediation.