In Sarajevo, on 13 May, Davor Bunoza, Minister of Justice of Bosnia and Herzegovina, signed the formal accession agreement to the ERA Foundation alongside Jean-Philippe Rageade, the Academy’s Director.
The ceremony was followed by an evening debate entitled ‚The Legal Professions Under Attack: European and BiH Perspectives‘, which was attended by around 70 legal practitioners from Bosnia and Herzegovina. This event coincided with the first anniversary of the Council of Europe Convention for the Protection of the Profession of Lawyer, to which Bosnia and Herzegovina became a signatory on 17 March 2026.
Davor Bunoza stated: “By signing the agreement on Bosnia and Herzegovina’s accession to the Academy of European Law today, we are opening a new chapter in the process of harmonising our legal framework with European legislation. Through this act, the Ministry of Justice of Bosnia and Herzegovina is sending a clear message to the legal community — we see our legal professionals as true partners whose knowledge, integrity, and expertise can and must make a strong contribution to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s European path.”
Jean-Philippe Rageade commented: “We are delighted that Bosnia and Herzegovina has decided to join our Foundation. We see this as confirmation of the quality of the work we have been doing in the Western Balkans over the past few years. I am deeply grateful to the Bar Associations and Judicial Training Centres of both the Republika Srpska and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina for their support. We will now step up our efforts in the country to train their judges, prosecutors, lawyers, and other legal professionals in EU law and thus prepare them for EU membership.”
Civil servants and members of the judiciary from Bosnia and Herzegovina will now benefit from a special patrons’ discount when attending ERA events. As an ERA Patron, Bosnia and Herzegovina will also have a seat on our ERA Governing Board.
