Council of Ministers Holds Its 38th Session Devoted to Implications to Bosnia and Herzegovina of Republic of Croatia’s Accession to the European Union

The Council of Ministers of BIH, at its thematic session, attended by Head of Delegation of the European Union in BIH Ambassador Peter Sorensen, adopted a set of measures aimed at stepping-up activities for overcoming aftermath to Bosnia and Herzegovina of the Republic of Croatia’s accession to the European Union. 

Ambassador Sorensen said that a significant progress has been made over the past period in the fulfilment of Action Plan commitments for overcoming aftermath of the Republic of Croatia’s accession to the European Union, and encouraged BIH authorities to invest additional efforts so as to fulfil the remainder of obligations, particularly in the agricultural and border and inspection control sectors.

“We are here to help you, but the authorities of BIH need to finalise the job and make  Bosnia and Herzegovina ready,  through the adoption of the EU standards, for  July 1 this year, when Croatia is to accede to the EU”, Sorensen said.

 

In the sequel of the session, the Council of Ministers of BIH adopted Information of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with proposed conclusions, on an acceptance procedure of a joint declaration on interpretation and application of Article 11 of the Agreement on Free Transit though the territory of the Republic of Croatia to and from the Ploče Port and through the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Neum, signed on November 22, 1998.

Deputy Chairman and Minister of Foreign Affairs of BIH Dr. Zlatko Lagumdžija will take part at a trilateral meeting of the European Union, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republic of Croatia, where he will inform the meeting of  the positions of the Council of Ministers on this matter.

It was concluded that Bosnia and Herzegovina must not impair, in all future negotiations pertaining to the issue of import and export of goods through the Ploče Port - by way of a request for a full derogation of the EU acquis - the status it achieved in its EU integrations process.

 

Upon a proposal of the Directorate for European Integrations, the Council of Ministers of BIH adopted a Summary Report on Action Plan Implementation for overcoming the effects of the Republic of Croatia’s accession to the EU and Report of the Action Plan Implementation for the IV quarter of 2012; the relevant Action Plan was adopted by the Council of Ministers last March.   

This way, the Council of Ministers monitors periodically a cumulative progress on the planned activities by priority areas, such as: property-legal relations between BIH and the Republic of Croatia; border issues; border inspection points; trade relations between the two states; traffic; education; citizenship and travel documents; labour sector; employment; social welfare benefits and pensions; electricity and energy, regional cooperation and pre-accession funds.

The session emphasised a Revised Agreement on Cross-Border Traffic between BIH and the Republic of Croatia, underlining that the revised version of the Agreement is largely agreed and its singing is to follow soon.

As to cross-border issue, it was said that a tender was opened for selection of the Gradiška border crossing master project developer, while a project documentation is currently being prepared for Gorica and Ivanjica border crossings. An agreement was reached also for the construction of the Orašje border crossing.

Adopting a set of regulations under the so-called hygiene package, the Council of Ministers of BIH made a significant move forward in fulfilling conditions for the export of agricultural products to the EU, including a progress made to legislative activities in relation to protection of health of herbs. Relevant BIH institutions are invited to send an official request for potato export, in order to receive a questionnaire, on the base of which the Office for Food and Veterinary Service inspection will pay a visit. A series of regulations were adopted in food safety and measurement areas, and activities were continued for development of state plan of laboratories. The first equipment for four laboratories is expected to be delivered to the Institute for Measurement of BIH, by the end of March 2013.

The State Commission for Integrated Border Management is in the process of negotiations with the Republic of Croatia over the Agreement on Free Transit through territories of BIH and the Republic of Croatia (through Neum and Ploče Port), as well as for the development of a Pre-Feasibility Study for connecting the territory of the Republic of Croatia, including an option of constructing a corridor through Neum.

The two countries have no outstanding issues in the areas of education and citizenship, while the Ministry of Civil Affairs of BIH undertook needed steps to initiate a procedure for solving the labour rights and social status of workers from BIH employed in Croatia, who were fired in the period of time between 1991 and 1995.

 

The Council of Ministers of BIH accepted an opinion declared at the trilateral meeting of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republic of Croatia and European Commission on border management, held in Brussels on Dc 19, 2012, concerning the derogation of EU acquis in relation to the Ploče Port, with an analysis, prepared by the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations, of effects that the acceptance of offered derogation would eventually make to the trade regime.

The Veterinary Office of BIH is tasked to submit to the European Commission a request for the derogation to include the transit routes through the EU territory of exports to Moldova, Turkey, EFTA and third counties.

Bosnia and Herzegovina will take care in all future negotiations not to impair the status it has achieved in its EU integrations process.

 

The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted a Brief Review of Road of Map Implementation pertaining to the exports of products of animal and herbal origin, prepared by the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations within its regular progress report to the Council of Ministers of BIH.

This fifth Report contains a review of 13 implementation activities by 13 competent institutions of BIH. The implemented obligations include the adoption of the “hygiene package”, while 9 obligations are still in the process of implementation. The Report stresses a need for an accelerated setting-up of transparent data management system on food production and consumption, in addition to empowering producer support institutions in the implementation of the Law on Food.

 

Upon a proposal of the Veterinary Office of BIH, the Council of Ministers of BIH adopted Information on implementation of activities recommended by the FVO Mission, necessary for the official control system in the chain of food and animal food in Bosnia and Herzegovina to be recognised by the European Union as a credible and harmonised with the EU legislative requirements.

The Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations got a 30 day a deadline to prepare certain amendments to the Law on Food and Law on Veterinary Service for their mutual adjustment and harmonisation with the EU legislative, with a clear distinction of State and Entity level institutional competences, and provide it to the Council of Ministers of BIH for consideration; this in connection with the establishment of the official control horizontal framework of the chain of food and animal food in BIH.

The Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations and Agency for Food Safety of BIH are to finalise urgently a diagram entailing all institutions included into official control activities.

A decision should be prepared urgently by the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations on an institution to host the central data base to enable further steps in preparation of technical specification and development of data base with TAIEX support.

The relevant legislation should be amended urgently by the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations and other State level sector agencies so that a plan of both horizontal and vertical controls could be developed to include all official controls through the chain of food safety and animal food.

The Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations and Agency for Food Safety are charged to take maximum efforts to form a work group to finalise the agreed to strategy for laboratories for testing of samples collected during official controls.

The Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations is tasked to cooperate with competent agencies in development of Communication Strategy, in support of TAIEX.

Activities related to visits to designated facilities for export of milk products, and slaughtering and poultry meat procession, which is the responsibility of the Veterinary Office, unfold as planned.

The Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations is assigned to organise one more expert mission, as appropriate, to visit border crossings where animal food and food of non-animal origin is imported, with an aim at gaining a full insight into the current situation.

Following the implementation and full dynamics of the previous nine activities, the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations will assess reforms that need eventually to be implemented in the organisation and implementation of the official control of the chain of food and animal food.

 

Upon a proposal of the State Commission for Integrated Border Management, the Council of Ministers of BIH adopted an Action Plan of the activities by the competent BIH institutions that need to be implemented by the date of accession of the Republic of Croatia to the European Union.

The State Commission for Integrated Border Management is tasked to inform the Council of Ministers of BIH monthly on implementation of activities listed in the Action Plan.

According to the Action Plan, Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Croatia will have signed an agreement, by June 1 this year, on border crossings and agreement on cross-border traffic, both of which will be harmonised with the EU standards.

The existing border crossing and customs terminal in Gradiška should be operative by May 20, 2013, as a provisional solution of the border inspection point until the final construction of the border crossing, while Mach 17, 2013 is the deadline for introduction of developer to the Bijača border crossing.

 

The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted Information of the State Commission for Integrated Border Management on cross-border issues and accepted a proposal made by a representative of the Republic of Croatia on temporary solution of issuing of cross-border passes, so that citizens residing in border areas could be allowed to cross the border crossings for small cross-border area traffic also after July 1, 2013. This temporary solution will be regulated by a new agreement on cross-border traffic and cooperation.

The Council of Ministers of BIH previously adopted Information on cross-border issues prepared by the State Commission for integrated Border Management, which refers to:  the adjustment of the bilateral Agreement on Border Crossings with the EU acquis; Agreement on small cross-border area traffic and its adjustment with the EU acquis; establishment, construction and furbishing of Bijača and Gradiška border inspection points, and staffing the newly set-up  border crossings (Nova sela/Bijača, Neum).

 

The Council of Ministers of BIH tasked the Ministry of Security of BNIH to continue, on a bilateral basis, negotiations with the Croatian side on further application of the Agreement between the Council of Ministers of BIH and Government of the Republic of Croatia on visa relief, which refers to the recognition of BIH ID document for crossing of border between BIH and the Republic of Croatia, following Croatia’s entry into the EU.

 

The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted Information concerning the implementation of a public campaign on implications to Bosnia and Herzegovina of entry of the Republic of Croatia into the EU. Competent institutions are tasked to engage already designated representatives to improve, in line with defined priority areas of effects of the Republic of Croatia’s entry into the EU, the on-going activities, for the purpose of a more comprehensive informing the Bosnia and Herzegovina’s public.

The Directorate for European Integrations is tasked to continue coordination of information campaign on the effects of the Republic of Croatia’s entry into the EU, and depending on the coordination dynamics, report to the Council of Ministers of BIH on the activities it undertook in connection to this assignment.

The designated representatives of different institutions should also report regularly to the Directorate for European Integrations on any relevant changes, so that the public could be informed timely.

For the needs of the public information campaign, the Directorate for European Integrations created an on-line publication “Bordering with the EU”, which contains 76 key questions/answers to general public, accessible at the web site of the Directorate.

Also, the Directorate plans to implement a series of activities by June 2013, among which there are printing of a pocket volume of “Bordering with the EU” for general public, organisation of forum for media and business and academic communities, and stepping-up the media campaign.

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