11. Sep 2021.

The head of the Directorate for Cooperation with the Diaspora and Serbs in the region, Arnaud Gouillon, announced a campaign for the protection of property rights of Serbs in the Federation of B&H today, because there is a risk of losing property due to the harmonization of data on real estate cadastre and land registers.

"Significant, important and somewhat worrying harmonization of data is underway and there is a risk that Serbs from the Federation of B&H might lose their property", Gouillon said at a press conference he held with the head of the Republic of Srpska representative office in Belgrade, Mlađen Cicović, which specified that there is about 400,000 Serbs who own real estate in the Federation.

According to Gouillon, there is a danger that Serbs from the Federation will lose their property, will not be registered in the books, nor be informed about it, because the information is published in the Official Gazette of the Federation and local media, inaccessible to Serbs living all over the world.

"In the absence of the owner, when a harmonization is conducted, the real rights holder is deleted, and his property is transferred to the state, canton, municipality", said Gouillon.

The information campaign will be conducted in five steps through embassies and consular offices, organizations with which the Directorate cooperates, the diocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church, social networks and the media.

He added that in the next 30 days, a video with the phone numbers of the RS Legal Aid Office +387 55490940 or viber and whatsapp numbers +387 65 090-040, will be broadcast on RTS, as well as by e-mail: pravnapomoc.banjaluka@rgurs.org.

Gouillon emphasized that confiscation of property in FB&H is a risk that can be prevented simply and easily. It is only necessary, he says, for those interested to contact the legal aid offices, which will monitor everything that is necessary for them.

Cicović emphasized that the joint campaign aims to inform as many compatriots around the world as possible about the procedure of harmonizing data on real estate cadastre and land registers in the Federation.

"The campaign is primarily important because the process of harmonizing data is non-transparent", Cicović said.

He added that the Republic Administration for Geodetic and Property Legal Affairs has opened offices in Banja Luka, Bijeljina, Mrkonjic Grad, Nevesinje, East Sarajevo and Zvornik, where citizens can receive free professional and legal assistance.

These offices acted on citizens' requests, and by 10 August, a total of 4,447 requests had been resolved.