The "Knowledge for Reform Action in the Western Balkans" project, funded by the Kingdom of Norway and implemented by UNOPS, has assisted Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) in drafting the new Law on Market Surveillance. 

This law is a crucial piece of legislation aimed at aligning BiH’s legal framework with EU Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 on market surveillance, and pivotal to BiH's EU integration process, as it lays the groundwork for enhanced product safety, market transparency, and consumer protection, key pillars of the EU Single Market.

The law addresses the surveillance of non-food products in BiH, an area previously unregulated to the extent required by the EU. This is essential for BiH to ensure that only safe, compliant products enter its market, which will ultimately boost domestic business competitiveness and facilitate access to the EU market. Promoting the progress made in aligning BiH’s legislation with the EU is critical for demonstrating the country’s commitment to EU standards, reinforcing its market infrastructure, and fostering consumer confidence.

Bosnia and Herzegovina has a complex institutional structure, where market surveillance responsibilities are shared across the state, entity, and cantonal levels of government. Therefore, the drafting process for the Law on Market Surveillance was carried out in a collaborative way, through a working group bringing together key stakeholders and project representatives from relevant institutions at all levels of government. This activity included ministries, supervisory authorities, customs, and the Market Surveillance Agency. 

The final stage of this process took place in October 2025, when the final draft of the Law on Market Surveillance was formally submitted to the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of BiH. The adoption of this law, therefore, will represent a critical first step towards establishing a unified regulatory framework for market surveillance in BiH, paving the way for future EU integration.

This process highlights the importance of inter-institutional coordination and demonstrates the value of technical assistance in supporting BiH's legislative alignment with EU standards. The successful drafting and submission of the law underscores BiH's commitment to improving its business environment, enhancing market oversight, and ensuring the safety and compliance of products in line with EU requirements.