Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina Holds Its 52nd Session

COUNCIL OF MINISTERS OF BIH AND CROATIAN GOVERNMENT TO AGREE ON EUROPEAN PARTNERSHIP 

The Council of Ministers of BIH defined Proposal Basics for negotiations on a Treaty between the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Government of the Republic of Croatia on European Partnership., which sets-up and develops the European partnership, contributing to European integrations of Bosnia and Herzegovina and promotes  European values in both bilateral and regional cooperation.

According to the Treaty, Croatia will, among other things, extend support and facilitate the process of accession of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the European Union and will transfer its specific knowledge and experiences attained through its own accession process.

The Proposal Basics will be provided to the BIH Presidency, and the Foreign Minister was proposed as the BIH signatory.

 

NEW DRAFT LAW ON AMEDMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTS TO CIIVL SERVICE LAW CONSIDERED

 

The Council of Ministers of BIH considered a new text Draft Law on Amendments and Supplements to the Law on Civil Service in the Institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Ministry of Justice should incorporate into the text Draft Law proposals and suggestions so as to make it fully aligned with SIGMA principles of public administration, adhered to by all European Union countries in their respective processes of creating of a more effective and accountable public administration.

 

BIH CUSTOMS PROCEDURES MODERNISATION INCREASES CHANCES IN INTERNATIONAL TRADE

 

The Council of Ministers of BIH defined Proposal Basics for initiating a procedure of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s accession to the Protocol on amendments and supplements to the International Convention on Simplification and Harmonisation of Customs Procedures (Kyoto Convention).

By the accession to the revised Kyoto Convention Bosnia and Herzegovina cerates basics for establishing modern and effective customs procedures and it increases its chances in the international trade.

The Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations will provide the Proposal Basics to the BIH Presidency for further procedure.

 

ABOUT TWO MILLION BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA EXPATRIATES LIVE ABROAD

 

The Council of Ministers adopted and will forward to the BIH Parliamentarian Assembly information of the Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees on the state of emigration, which indicates that 1,677,177 persons born in BIH live outside Bosnia and Herzegovina, and with their descendants and the second and third generation added, their total number reaches two million.

The rate of emigration form BIH relative to number of inhabitants in the country is 44.5 per cent, which ranks BIH among countries with the largest number of emigrants relative to the total number of inhabitants.

He major portion of emigrants live in Croatia (409,357), Serbia (335,992), Germany (159,380), Austria (149,755), USA (132,255), Slovenia (95,921), Switzerland (57,542), and Sweden (56,477). The majority of BIH citizens are well established in educational, professional and economic terms in their current host countries.

The information suggests that the best results of cooperation of local communities with Diaspora are evident in the municipalities having opened offices for cooperation with the Diaspora.

Although there are several strategic documents in BIH which allow for a partial creation of conditions for connecting the emigration with the development processes in the country, the practice testifies of the insufficiency thereof.

Therefore, the Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees prepares, in cooperation with all-level competent institutions, a proposal policy of cooperation with Diaspora.

This way, cooperation with Diaspora is wanted to be used in a comprehensive manner and link the emigrants with their homeland.

 

ACCESSION TO CEB MIGRANTS AND REFUGEES FUND

 

The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted information of the Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees on accession to the Migrants and Refugees Fund of the Council of Europe Development Bank, which will be provided to the BIH Presidency for further procedure.

The Council of Ministers of BIH supported participation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the CEB-founded Migrants and Refuges Fund capital, aiming to assist its member-countries during the migrant and refugee crisis.

Total EUR 15,11 million was collected in the Fund, while total EUR 20-25 million are expected to be collected in full. The Fund resources will be used for financing projects fo construction/establishment of transit and admission centres and for integration of refugees/migrants , for the purpose of securing respect for basic human rights to these vulnerable groups, in accordance with the Council of Europe Convention.

 

ADOPTION OF MIGRATION PROFILLE AS FULFILEMNT OF VISA REGIME LIBERATISATION-RELATED COMMITMENTS

 

The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted a Migration Profile of Bosnia and Herzegovina for 2015, by which the Council of Ministers of BIH secures an annual review into key trends in the area of migrations, and the Ministry of Security is enabled to develop high-quality policies and regulations.

This is the eight migration profile, by which Bosnia and Herzegovina fulfils one among commitments in the visa liberalisation process, the migration profile regular up-dating.

The Migration Profile indicates that the diplomatic-consular offices issued 16,970 visas last year, which represents an increase of 3.97 per cent in relation to year 2014. Also, at the BIH border, issued were 120 visas, or 06.9 per cent increase, compared with the year before.

The Border Police refused last year 2,432 entries into BOH, or 22.4 more than the year before, while the number of detected illegal border crossings was 179, and it was less for 5.29 per cent respective to year 2014.

Foreigners were approved 12,663 temporary stays, or 14.6 per cent more than in year 2014. In 2015, issued were 294 decisions on expulsion, which represents a decrease for 22.6 per cent in relation to the year before, while 193 foreigners were put under supervision. During 2015, five conclusions were made approving expulsion decision executions, the same number as in 2014. Udner readmission agreements, admitted were 974 BIH citizens.

BIH citizenship was granted in 2015 to 641 person, which is 5.18 per cent less in relation ot the year before, and the majority of them were citizens of Serbia and Croatia.

 

LICENCE ISSUANCE DEADLINE ON DECEMBER 31, 2016

 

The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted information of the Ministry of Communications and Transport on application of a Regulation on conditions for issuance of licences and drivers’ qualification cards.

In regard to that, December 31, 2016 was set as the ultimate deadline for finalisation of the Ministry of Communications and Transport licence issuance procedure.

The Ministry of Communications and Transport is to take all required activities to provide a Proposal Law on Amendments and Supplements to the Law on International and Inter-Entity Road Transport to the Council of Ministers and Parliamentarian Assembly of BIH, before the expiry of the deadline.

 

VILIĆ GETS BIH CITIZENSHIP

The Council of Ministers of BIH made a decision to grant the citizenship of Bosnia and Herzegovina to Simonida Vilić, citizen of Serbia and a lecturer at the University for Business Studies in Banja Luka, also engaged with NGO sector in activities concerning the realisation of domestic economic and European Union projects.

 

APPOINTED ACTING DIRECTOR OF POLICE SUPPORT AGENCY

 

The Council of Ministers of BIH appointed Husein Nunić for Acting Director of the Police Support Agency until the completion of a public vacancy procedure for this position.

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