Press Releases
Council of Ministers of BIH Holds Its 92nd Session
03/01/2017
Vijeće ministara Bosne i Hercegovine
The Council of Ministers of BIH took note of a Report of the Directorate for European Integrations on undertaken and remaining activities concerning preparation of answers to the Questionnaire of the European Commission, to be submitted to the BIH Presidency.
The Report indicates that as at January 31, the major part of contribution of the institutions responsible to provide answers to the EC Questionnaire was received, except for answers from Republika Srpska, which have not been provided.
“The Directorate currently analyse the quality of the answers provided, and in consultations with relevant institutions it works of the refinement and harmonisation of the contribution provided”, says the Report of the Direction, and adds that work groups after being formed, in accordance with a Decision on System of Coordination of the European Integrations of BIH, will start technical finalisation of all materials connected to the EC Questionnaire.
Civil society organisations have provided 141 answers, and the public offered 395 answers to 35 questions form the EC Questionnaire, which will be translated together with answers from institutions and submitted together to the European Commission.
The terminal deadline for provision of answers to the European Commission to 3,242 Questions from the Questionnaire handed over to Bosnia and Herzegovina on December 8, 2016 is the end May of this year.
CIVIL CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES AFTER LONG TIME INCREASED FOR 2.5% IN Q3
In nine months last year BIH marked real growth of GDP of three per cent, suggests a document Economic Trends in BIH for January-September 2016, prepared by the Directorate for Economic Planning of BIH.
The Council of Ministers was informed at today’s session that in comparison with the year before, nine months of last year saw an increase of industrial production for 3.8 per cent and decrease of employment for 3.4 per cent, which was 524.7k, compared to 543.4k in 2015. An increase of export of goods was made despite law prices of traditional export products, while foreign trade deficit was decreased for KM 167 million or 3.2 per cent, compared to the same period 2015. An increase was made also in indirect and direct taxes, contributions and other tax revenues. On the other side, a decrease of FDIs, traced back to the last two years, continued in 2016. Therefore, announcements of more investments in the areas of tourism and renewable sources of energy are encouraging, as is also a halt, after a longer period of time, of decrease of civil construction activities, which made an annual increase of 2.3 per cent in Q3 2016,
BIH ADOPTS INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS IN MARITIME AFFAIRS
The Council of Ministers of BIH defined individual proposal basics for accession of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the International Convention on Cargo Lines, International Convention on Measuring Ship Tonnage from 1969, and convention on International Rules for Prevention of Collisions at Sea.
This way, Bosnia and Herzegovina, as a member of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), wants to contribute to fostering international standards in the area of maritime affairs and safe maritime navigation.
Acceding to these Conventions will enable Bosnia and Herzegovina to create preconditions for adjustment and harmonisation of its own regulations with the relevant legal, technical and security requirements of the European Union.
The initiator, Ministry of Communications and Transport, will provide the individual proposal basics to the BIH Presidency for further procedure, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs was proposed for the BIH signatory of the instruments of ratification.
TO REACH AGREEMENT ON IPARD MODEL TO FAVOUR FARMERS
The Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations will continue its activities, in cooperation with competent Entity, cantonal and Brčko District of BIH bodies, aimed at achieving an agreement concerning an IPARD operative structure model, as a prerequisite for using of pre-accession funds of the European Union intended for agriculture and rural development in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In parallel with establishing such structure, BIH needs to have prepared basic strategic documents, namely the Strategic Rural Development Plan for BIH and IPAD Programme. Possibilities of use of the EU funds for agriculture and rural development would be especially important for Bosnia and Herzegovina, since they aim strengthening of competitiveness of agriculture of the beneficiary country, reaching EU standards, as well as preparation and strengthening of institutional capacities for implementation of policies, mandatory upon attaining the EU candidate state status.
Information on activities on establishment of the IPARD operative structure, adopted today by the Council of Ministers of BIH, contains a chronologic review of activities for the establishment of the IPARD operative structure, which, despite an intensive years-long work, has not been agreed yet.
TO TAKE FRAMEWORK GUIDELINES FOR DEVELOPMENT OF AGRICULTURAL INFORMATION SYSTEM OF BIH
The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted information of the Ministry of Foreign –Trade and Economic Relations on activities on the preparation of Framework Guidelines for Establishment and Development of Agricultural Information System in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations will, in cooperation with the competent Entity and Brčko District of BIH bodies, continue its activities on preparation of the document Framework Guidelines for Establishment and Development of Agricultural Information System in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and will provide it to the Council of Ministers for adoption.
The Framework Guidelines for Development of Agricultural Information System in BIH are aimed to create a comprehensive insight of the roles of all responsible institutions nad obligations stemming from their competences, and pave the way for the establishment of an agricultural information system in Bosnia and Herzegovina, harmonised with the requirements and regulations of the European Union.
TO OPEN 500 MILLION CONSUMER-STRONG MARKET TO AGRICULTURE-FOOD PRODUCTION SECTOR
The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted information on activities on establishment and development of a land parcels identification system in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and invited all competent institutions in BIH to coordinate with the Ministry of Foreign Trade nad Economic Relations, the realisation of already launched activities and define minimum common elements for the establishment and development of the system.
The aim is to adjust the area to the European Union standards and requirements, so that the BIH agricultural-food production sector would be enabled, as soon as possible, to use guarantee and rural activities support funds, in order to open hte sector to the European market with more than 500 million consumers.
JOINT IMPLEMENTATION OF LAW ON AGRICULTURE, FOOD NAD RURAL DEVELOPMENT
The Council of Ministers of BIH took note of an Analysis of implementation of the Law on Agriculture, Food and Rural Development of BIH, and urged all institutions responsible for agriculture in Bosnia and Herzegovina to give a full support by their participation to the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations in implementation of the Law provisions.
The Analysis gave s breakdown of the Law implementation by chapters, while especially were analysed processes of harmonisation of internal agricultural policy with principles of the Joint Agricultural Policy of the European Union, including the harmonisation of legislation, development and fostering of institutions and policy reforms.
“In general terms, a desired progress has not been made in the harmonisation of hte agricultural-food production sector of Bosnia and Herzegovina with the Joint Agricultural Policy, i.e. he process is still in its inceptive phase, although it started as early as 2008”, indicates the Analysis.
It was said to be the one among major challenges in the agriculture sector of BIH due to both the volume of legislation to be taken over and implement and needed institutional capacities to be built or capacitate, as well as because of the fact that the EU Joint Agricultural Policy itself is frequently subject to considerable reforms and changes.
BIH INCRESASES ITS PARTICIPATION IN IBRD
The Council of Ministers of BIH took a decision, proposed by the Ministry of Finance and Treasury, on an increase of number of votes and participation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the international Bank for Reconstruction and Development and International Financial Corporation and on increase of capital capacity.
So, in the process of the selective capital increase, BIH got 104 new shares of total value of USD 12,416,030.00, of which BIH will pay six per cent or USD 752,762.40 by the beginning of March. The funds were planned in the BIH Institutions Budget for 2017.
ACTIVITIES STARDED FOR BIH MEMBERSHIP IN FAO FISHERRIES COMMISSION FOR MEDITERRANEAN
The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted information of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations on activities of Bosnia and Herzegovina within FAO General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean – GFCM.
The Ministry of foreign Trade and Economic Relations is tasked to continue work, in cooperation with the competent Entity, Cantonal and Brčko District of BIH bodies, on coordination of activities provided for under the non-contractual membership of BIH in FAO General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean, with a view at preparing BIH for a full membership, when conditions are met.
The General Fisheries commission for the Mediterranean acts within the Food and Agriculture Organisation of UN. The Commission is comprised of 14 member-countries together with the European Union, and its aims are to promote development, preservation, rational management and best use of living resources, as well as he sustainable development of aquaculture in the Mediterranean, Black Sea and connected waters. Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of the countries with exist to the sea, but non-member of the Commission.
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