The Expertise Co-ordination Mechanism (ECM) enables the provision of legislative expertise and policy advice in the areas covered by the Horizontal Facility programme, as well as on constitutional issues falling within the mandate of the European Commission for Democracy through Law, known as the Venice Commission.

In this context, the Venice Commission has adopted several opinions supported through the ECM during its 139th plenary session, held on 21-22 June 2024.

At the request of the Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Venice Commission has prepared the Draft Opinion on the method of electing judges to the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Draft Interim Follow-up Opinion to previous Opinions on the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina was also prepared under the ECM, at the request of the Minister of Justice of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Five new urgent (follow-up) opinions on draft legislation of Montenegro were published in May 2024, at the request of the Minister of Justice of Montenegro. These urgent opinions were endorsed during the plenary session held in June: the opinion on the draft amendments to the Law on Seizure and Confiscation of Material Benefit Derived from Criminal Activity,  the draft law on the prevention of corruption, as well as urgent follow-up opinions on the draft amendments to the laws on the State Prosecution Service and on the Special State Prosecutor's Office, and on revised draft amendments to the Law on the Judicial Council and Judges.

The Expertise Co-ordination Mechanism is a part of the joint European Union and Council of Europe programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye”, implemented by the Council of Europe.