The authorities of Republika Srpska have been the largest beneficiaries of foreign projects from the European Union and the United States in recent years, and official data show that billions of foreign money have arrived to support democratic development, economy, and infrastructure. However, these same authorities now want to label all non-governmental organizations that apply for projects from the same donors as “foreign influence agents,” which is envisaged by the new law on the transparency of non-profit organizations’ work, adopted in draft form in the National Assembly of RS. Representatives of civil society left the public debate on this law today and made only one request, which is to withdraw this law from the procedure.
According to data from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Republika Srpska has received 620 million dollars in recent years through projects and investments in economic activities, democracy, financial reconstruction, and infrastructure.
However, in less than a year, Milorad Dodik went from thanking USAID for projects in Republika Srpska to accusing that same USAID of financing non-governmental organizations, which is why he advocates for the adoption of a “foreign agents law.”
Everything #TIBiH has to say regarding the announced law on the transparency of non-profit organizations’ work in Republika Srpska. pic.twitter.com/EYWHoRLxwA
— Transparency International in BiH (@tibihorg) March 24, 2023
Among other things, USAID has financed projects in Republika Srpska for creating a register of tax and non-tax levies, improving the treasury operations of health institutions, systems for controlling and collecting contributions, a register of inspection procedures, etc.
This law should also put on the list of foreign agents all organizations that receive funds through European Union projects, of which the government in Republika Srpska is again the largest beneficiary. On the same day that MPs voted for this law, representatives of the RS Government in Doboj were training non-governmental organizations in writing EU projects, although under the new law, any organization that receives a project will automatically become “foreign agents.”
According to data from the EU delegation, Republika Srpska has drawn hundreds of millions of euros in grants through various projects. The entire Bosnia and Herzegovina received 610 million euros from 2007 to 2013 through the IPA I program, and 552.1 million euros from 2014 to 2020 through the IPA II program, with some of the most significant projects implemented in Republika Srpska.
In addition to infrastructure, the EU provides support to institutions in Republika Srpska through projects to improve systems, structures, policies, and legislation. However, despite everything, the authorities in RS are trying to put organizations and media that apply for projects from these same donors on a kind of blacklist by passing this law, and thus create a basis for confrontation with all those who are not under government control. Therefore, TI BiH representatives submitted a request at today’s public debate to withdraw this law from the procedure because it violates the basic human rights to freedom of association, violates the Constitution of Republika Srpska, BiH, and the European Convention on Human Rights and Freedoms.
