Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina Holds Its 47th Session

The Council of Ministers of BIH defined a Proposal Law on Amendment of the Law on Criminal Procedure of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in order to harmonise it with a decision of the Constitutional Court of BIH in a part which deals with the obligatory detention following the sentencing of the first degree verdict. 

The Amendment Law to be sent to the parliamentarian procedure by the Ministry of Justice, sets forth that following the pronouncement of a prison sentence, the court is entitled to prolong detention, taking regard of all circumstances connected with the perpetration of a criminal act, i.e. the personality of the perpetrator, of which a separate decision should be made.

The Council of Ministers of BIH defined, by a majority vote, a Proposal Law on Voluntary Work, which defines conditions and basic principles of voluntary work, rights and obligations of volunteers and volunteering organisers, in addition to introducing a state award for volunteering.

The volunteering state award is the highest recognition presented by the Ministry of Justice of Bosnia and Herzegovina for volunteering, contribution to volunteering promotion and other volunteering activities.

The Ministry of Justice will provide the proposal Law to the Parliamentarian Assembly of BIH.

The Council of Ministers of BIH defined Proposal Basics for launching a procedure for conclusion of the Supplement 2 to the Finance Agreement between BIH and the European Commission concerning the 2009 State Programme (Part II) within the Instrument of Pre-Accession Assistance. The Ministry of Finance and Treasury will provide the Proposal Basics to the Presidency of BIH for further procedure, and Director of the Directorate for European Integrations Nevenka Savić is proposed as the BIH signatory.

The Proposal Basics introduce, among other things, a grant allocation for the Census of Population Project in total amount of EUR 7.5 million, committed to the Agency of Statistics of BIH.

The Council of Ministers of BIH defined a Proposal Loan Agreement, concluded between Bosnia and Herzegovina, represented by the Ministry of Finance and Treasury, and Erste Bank der Oesterreichischen Sparkassen AG, for the “Supply of Medical Equipment for Heath Institutions in Unsko-Sanski Canton Project”, which the Ministry of Finance and Treasury will provide to the Presidency of BIH, while Minister of Finance and Treasury Nikola Špirić is proposed as the BIH signatory.

The loan value is EUR 6,491,563.00, and funds will be used for the procurement of modern medical equipment for the purpose of up-grading the health care quality.

The Council of Ministers of BIH defined Proposal Basics for negotiations and conclusion of a Joint Declaration on Interpretation and Application of Article 11 of the Agreement on Free Transit through the territory of the Republic of Croatia to and from the Polče Port and trough the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Neum. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will provide the proposal basics to the Presidency of BIH in order to create conditions to facilitate crossing of the joint state border after the Republic of Croatia takes-up obligations stemming from its full membership in the European Union.

The Joint Declaration will enable further application of the Free Transit Agreement though the territory of the Republic of Croatia to and from the Ploče Port and through the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Neum, providing for a balanced treatment under the transit regime in both Neum and the Ploče Port.

The Council of Ministers of BIH endorsed an Initiative of the Ministry of Finance and treasury for negotiations for the conclusion of a Loan Contract (Sanitation Project in Cazin) between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, worth EUR 5 million, with the 15 year term and three year grace period.

The aim of the Project is the reconstruction of priority parts of water supply pipeline with an extension of the existing sanitation network and development of a first phase of waste waters treatment facility.

The Council of Ministers of BIH took a Decision on presenting the State awards for Sports of Bosnia and Herzegovina, for which additional KM 20,000.00 were allocated for the first three prizes from the “Co-Financing of Sports Events” Grant.

The first prize in amount of KM 10,000 went to Amel Mekić for winning the first place in the European Championship for seniors in Judo (Istanbul) in 2011 and for his qualifications for the Olympic Games in London 2012.

The second prize in amount of KM 6,000 went to Ibrahim Biogradilić for the silver Olympic medal (Olympic Games in Melbourne, 1956), and third prize in amount of KM 4,000 went to Milanko Mačubabić for his extremely successful work in sports in his capacity of both trainer and contestant, and for holding a title of world veteran champion, won in Montreal in 2010.

The fourth and fifth prize went to Nedžad Fazlija (silver medal at the Mediterranean Games, Bari, 1997) and to Nermin Potur (first place ta the Mediterranean Championship, Tuzla, 2010, and third place at the European Championship, Tenerifi, 2012), respectively, who will be presented appropriate notes of recognition.

Upon a proposal of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations, the Council of Ministers of BIH took a decision to adopt a 2013 Consumer Protection Annual Programme for Bosnia and Herzegovina, prepared by the BIH Consumer Protection Council for the purpose of improving the quality of life of all BIH citizens and awareness building on the importance of consumer safety and health.

It is a comprehensive document, which creates consumer protection policies, defines priorities and sets about 100 measures to be implemented in the course of 2013.

The implementation of the measures will be the responsibility of the following institutions: Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations, Veterinary Office of BIH, BIH Administration for Phytosanitary Protection, BIH Competition Council, BIH Ombudsman for Consumer Protection, BIH Food Safety Agency, BIH Agency for Drugs and Medical Aids, BIH Communications Regulatory Agency, Agency for Statistics of BIH, BIH Institute for Intellectual Property, BIH Institute for Measurement, BIH Institute for Standardisation, Federal Ministry of Trade, Ministry of Trade and Tourism of Republika Srpska, Brčko District Government, Entity Inspection Offices, Brčko District Police Administration, and consumers’ associations.

The Council of Ministers of BIH took a decision on continuation of merging of funds from the BIH Ministry of Defence Budget and NATO Trust Fund in 2013.

Under the decision, the continued activity of the Ministry of Defence and NATO Trust Fund’s funds joining exercise will receive KM 300,000 in 2013, by way of restructuring the Ministry of Defence budget.

The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted a Report of the Ministry of Security on Human Trafficking Situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Report on Action Plan Implementation for Combating Human Trafficking in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2012, which indicates a slight increase of number of identified local human trafficking victims and stagnation of the number of foreign human trafficking victims, in relation to previous years.

The 2012 Report says that, as in previous years, human trafficking took place mostly for the  labour force purposes, especially child labour – namely, for begging - in addition to the exploitation of other persons for prostitution, and sales of underage persons for the conclusion of forced, i.e. contracted marriage.

Activities were continued last year at the suppression of human trafficking, which included measures for strengthening of support framework, capacity building within competent institutions and organisations, human trafficking prevention, victim protection, criminal prosecution of perpetrators of these criminal acts, strengthening of GO and NGO sectors partnership, and promotion of international cooperation.

The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted a Programme of Development of Sport in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2013, prepared by the Ministry of Civil Affairs, aimed at the prosperous development of sport, sports activities and sports infrastructure.

The 2013 Programme of Development of Sport contains a series of measures to be implemented by the Ministry of Civil Affairs of BIH, BIH Olympic Committee and BIH Para-Olympic Committee, sports associations at Bosnia and Herzegovina level and the Council for Sports of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Upon a proposal of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations, the Council of Ministers of BIH adopted a Regulation on methods of causing and analytical methods for official controls for animal food, harmonised with the appropriate EU directives.

The Regulation governs the rules of sample taking for analysis and production of results, as well as methods used in analysis and implementation of official animal food controls.

The Regulation will be implemented by the BIH Veterinary Office, Entity and Brčko District competent bodies within Ministries and Inspection Offices, by officially designated veterinarians and veterinary inspectors.

Upon a proposal of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations, the Council of Ministers of BIH adopted a Regulation on maximum allowed quantities of coccidiostats or histomonistats in food, which are the consequence of pollution of animal food by the matters which are not allowed to be found in food for certain animals.

The adoption of the regulation is a necessary measure n the process of gradual getting closer to the European standards in the phytosanitary sector.

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