Prud Agreement

The Prud Agreement or Prud Process was an agreement that pertained to state property, census, constitutional changes, reconstructing the Council of Ministers and solving the legal status of the Brčko District. It was a created by Sulejman Tihić (SDA), Dragan Čović (HDZ BiH) and Milorad Dodik (SNSD) in the village of Prud on 8 November 2008.

In relation to constitutional reform discussions in Prud and subsequent talks cover four key areas: Harmonisation of BiH's constitution with the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms; State level competences; Functional common institutions; Territorial organisation, specifically of the middle level of government.

The reforms promised by the agreement would "build the ability of the State to meet the requirements of the EU integration process".

At a subsequent meeting in Banja Luka on 26 January 2009, the party leaders set out a plan for Bosnia-Herzegovina as a decentralized country with three levels of government. The middle level of government is anticipated to be made up by four territorial units with legislative, executive and judicial branches of government.

Controversy surrounds the creation of a third entity, the Republika Srpska’s territorial integrity, and the division of Bosnia and Herzegovina. In an article rejecting the suggestion that the division of BiH's middle level of government into four entities would remove Republika Srpska from the map, the SNSD give a clear statement:

Republika Srpska is a constitutional-territorial category which is not up for discussion and around which there is no bargaining

A further meeting is expected in Mostar on 23 February, hosted by Dragan Čović.

On 20 July 2009, the High Representative for Bosnia, Valentin Inzko suggested that the process between the three 'nationalist' parties had effectively ended. Instead it had changed into a process involving many more political parties. Inzko believes that minor level constitutional reform can be delivered through the meetings.