Press Releases
Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina Holds Its 139th Session
04/15/2018
Vijeće ministara Bosne i Hercegovine
The Council of Ministers of BIH defined a Proposal Law in Amendments and Supplements to the Law of Bosnia and Herzegovina on execution of criminal sanctions, detention and other measures for the sake of further harmonisation with international standards and regulation of new legal situations in connection to the operation of a new state prison. The Ministry of Justice will provide the Proposal Law to the Parliamentarian Assembly of BIH after inclusion of suggestions made at today’s session, together with opinions of relevant institutions.
The Supplements to the Law regulate, among other things, future cooperation within the prison system of the closed type in BIH and Entity and Brčko District prison systems, after the start of operation of the Institution for execution of criminal sanctions of detention and other measures in Bosnia and Herzegovina (state prison). The cooperation would enable the Entity Justice Ministries and Judicial Committee of the Brčko District of BIH to seek from the Ministry of Justice of BIH resolutions on detention in the state prison of high risk and dangerous prisoners. At the same time, they regulate the issue of equalling the position of convicts convicted before the Entity and BIH Court for a criminal deed under the competence of the Criminal Code of BIH. The Amendments and Supplements of the Law define measures of close surveillance, applicable by way of electronic bracelet with GPS system.
The Ministry of Justice of BIH had previously conducted a legal consultations procedure, involving 60 legal and natural persons.
BIH COUNCIL OF MINISTERS AND GOVERNMENT OF SERBIA BOOST COOPERATION: TO FACILITATE BORDER CROSSING
The Council of Ministers of BIH defined a Proposal Agreement between the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Government of the Republic of Serbia on Border Crossings, which will strengthen cooperation, facilitate crossing of joint border and establish more effective border control.
Under the Agreement, a new border-crossing will be set-up for international road transport of passengers and goods, and it would include import, export and transport of all kinds of goods, including those subject to inspection control.
The new Agreement defines categorisation of certain border-crossings in accordance with needs, the actual state of affairs on the ground and planned development of road network at the joint border-crossing.
CONTINUATION OF CORRIDOR V c MOTORWAY SUB-SECTION NEMILA - DONJA GRAČANICA CONSTRUCTION
The Council of Ministers of BIH defined two Proposal Loan Agreements between Bosnia and Herzegovina and OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) for a Motorway Construction Project on the Corridor V c, sub-section Nemila – Donja Gračanica (Zenica North), A and B components.
It is about construction of a 17.26 km long section of Nemila – Donja Gračanica motorway on the Corridor V c, it is a 5-7 km long Nemila Vranduk sub-section, 5.07 km long Vranduk – Ponirak sub-section, and 6.0 km long Ponirak – Donja Gračanica sub-section. The Loan value is USD 27, 150, 000.00 for component A, and EUR 24, 3 million for component B.
The loans terms are 20 years for component A with five-year grace period and 18 years with four-year grace period for component B. The Loans are allocated to the Federation of BIH.
Each Proposal Agreement with belonging negotiations platforms will be provided to the BIH Presidency for further procedure, and the Minister of Finance and Treasury was proposed as the BIH signatory.
GOOD NEW FOR BIH STUDENTS IN SLOVENIA: STILL WITHOUT SCHOLARSHIP FEES
The Council of Ministers of BIH defined a proposal for extension of validity of a Protocol between the Council of Ministers of BIH and Government of the Republic of Slovenia on Cooperation in Education, enabling BIH students to continue being relieved from foreigner scholarship fee payment.
The validity of the Protocol, concluded in 2913, will be prolonged by the end the academic year in which Bosnia and Herzegovina will become the EU member.
BIH students were equalised with citizens of the Republic of Slovenia in view of payment of scholarship fee, in addition to having available, at annual basis, 18 monthly cash benefits for education at high education facilities in Slovenia within the Mobility and European Programmes of Education and Training of the Republic of Slovenia (CMEPIUS).
The Ministry of Civil Affairs will provide the Proposal for Extension of Validity of the Protocol to the BIH Presidency for decision taking.
EXPORT OF AGRICULTURAL ALIMENTARY PRODUCTS OVER KM 1 BILLION
The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted an Analysis of trade exchange of agricultural-alimentary products for 2012-2017, which indicates that the export of these products from BIH passed KM one billion last year for the first time.
Practically, the export increased for eight per cent relative to the year before, reaching the highest value of export from Bosnia and Herzegovina to date.
The exchange of agricultural-alimentary products reached a six-year record last year, followed by a three per cent deficit decrease.
The total balance of agricultural-alimentary products exchange with abroad hits average KM 3.5 billion at annual level.
The most important export products are fats and oils, fruit, milk and dairy products, sugar and sugar-based products, crops and flour, water, vegetables, and mill industry products and meat.
The mill industry products marked surplus for the first time last year in amount of KM 2.4 million, making the export value higher than that of import.
The EU is our most relevant partner when it comes to the exchange of agricultural-alimentary products, primarily due to trade with Croatia.
In recent years, the placement of BIH products to other markets, to EFTA Group primarily, got on relevance, as BIH makes surplus in trading with agricultural-alimentary products. The surplus was made with the Republic of Turkey, as well, followed by a constant export increase, proven by data from 2017, when surplus was KM 221 million and export increased for KM 290 million.
In the third countries group, the Russian Federation is the most important market, showing a constant increase of export value, of fruit and vegetables, primarily.
MIGRATION PROFILE ADOPTED
The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted a 2017 Migration Profile of Bosnia and Herzegovina, proposed by the Ministry of Security. This is the 10th migration profile, by which the Council of Ministers fulfilled one of its annual requirements under the visa regime liberalisation process, and enabled an insight into the key migration trends.
The Migration Profile says BIH diplomatic-consular offices issued 28,751 visas last year, which is more than 25 per cent relative to 2016. The visa issuance at border-crossings – 57 visas in 2017 - is 15 per cent lesser, compared with 1016.
The border police last year rejected 2,313 entries to BIH, or 3.1 per cent increase compared to the year before, while the number of detected illegal crossings last year was 766 and was tripled relative to 2016, when 218 entries to BIH were rejected.
A trend of decrease of foreigners’ temporary stays in BIH continued through 217, when 11,372 temporary stays were approved in 2017, compared with 11,519 in 2916 and 12,633 in 2915.
Last year, 927 decisions on expulsion were issued, which is a considerable increase in respect to the year before, when 418 such decisions were issued. Total 860 foreigners were put under supervision in the Immigration Centre in 2017, which is an increase for 176.5 relative to the year before, when they were 311 under supervision.
In compliance with readmission agreements, 1,486 BIH citizens were admitted in 2017.
Last year, 667 individuals got BIH citizenship, or less for 2.2 per cent relative to the year before, and among them 97 per cent were applicants from Serbia and Croatia.
TRIPLED INCREASE OF ORGANIC PRODUCTS
The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted Information prepared by the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations on foreign trade operations in the area of organic production in Bosnia nod Herzegovina, which shows an export increase trend of organic products in the last three years, and highlights the potential for the branch further development.
So, the export of organic products in 2015 reached EUR two million, followed by EUR 3.5 million in 2016, while 2017 export was doubled in respect to 2015, and reached EUR four million. The countries were the organic products are the most demanded are Germany, Netherlands, Denmark, Italy, Sweden and Switzerland.
The value of organic products placed to the BIH market in 2015 was EUR 0.3 million worth.
The surface under organic production was doubled over the last five years, from 343 ha in 2011 to 659 ha in 2017, still accounting slightly less than 0.03 per cent of all cultivated land.
Unofficial data suggest that in the Federation of BIH there are over 70 organic producers, and in Republika Srpska there are 26 identified organic agricultural producers, mostly in the area of medical herbs and berries.
However, the potentials in this sector are much higher, which was recognised in the BIH Rural Development Strategic Plan, which prescribes a special measure to support the organic production, environmental protection, decrease of climate change effects, and introduces a specific sub-measure concerning production support, certification and organic production control, in accordance with the best practices and the EU market requirements.
Therefore, the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations will continue its activities, in cooperation with the competent Entity, Cantonal and Brčko District institutions, to improve conditions for foreign trade operations and export of organic products.
TO FINALISE URGENTLY PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION REFORM STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK
The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted Information of the Directorate for European Integrations on the second meeting of the Special Sub-Group for Public Administration Reform, held in Sarajevo in late January 2018, and adopted the conclusions to follow.
The European Union recommendations were adopted, highlighting the importance of further reforms implementation in Bosnia and Herzegovina. So, Bosnia and Herzegovina should, among other things, finalise a whole-state public administration reform strategic framework as a matter of urgency, and harmonise it among different authority levels, with a joint implementation action plan drafting to follow.
32 COMPUTERS FOR VULNERABLE GROUPS
The Council of Ministers of BIH took a decision on transfer of ownership over basic means, under which 32 computers owned by the Institution of Ombudsman for Human Rights of BIH will be allocated to associations, federations, schools, rehabilitation centres, youth centres, and similar institutes in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
These are facilities which gather Roma, children with special needs, disabled persons, parentless youth and children from Bijeljina, Banja Luka, Modriča, Rogatica, the Brčko District of BIH, Međugorjse, Orašje, Bosansko Grahovo, Mostar, Sarajevo, Fojnica, Pazarić, Sanski Most, and Zenica.
BEE HONEY CONTROL IN BIH CONTINUES
The BIH Food Safety Agency will continuously be taking, within its competences and in cooperation with competent bodies of BIH, Entities and Brčko District of BIH, all needed activities in connection to planning, preparation and implementation of monitoring of bee honey quality in BIH - this was concluded during the consideration of a report on inspection of bee honey quality at BIH market, which indicated that total 100 samples were analysed in 2017, of which 52 were not in accordance with valid regulations in BIH.
Among the samples tested, 72 were taken from domestically produced honey, of which 42 did not match valid BIH regulations, and out of 28 samples taken from the imported bee honey, 10 were did not match BIH regulations. The reasons for inconsistency were found in the increased hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), low diastasis activity, decreased content of reduced sugar, and value deviations for electrical conductivity, contents of sucrose and minerals and matters insoluble in water, while two bee honey samples did not have a label.
ENDORSED AMENDMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTS TO LAW ON PROTECTION OF CORRUPTION REPORTING PERSONS
The Council of Ministers of BIH endorsed an opinion by the Ministry of Security to a Proposal Law on Amendments and Supplements to the Law on protection of persons reporting corruption in the Institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, initiated by Darko Babalj, Bariša Čolak and Halid Genjac.
The Opinion indicates that reasons are justified for the law adoption as it will remove certain inconsistencies, including some uncertainties about its implementation.
The Ministry of Security will provide the Opinion to the Parliamentarian Assembly.
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