Press Releases

Council of Ministers Holds Its 10th Session

Press Releases

06/11/2012

Vijeće ministara Bosne i Hercegovine

The Council of Ministers of BIH defined a Proposal Law on Associations of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which will be provided by the Ministry of Justice to the Parliamentarian Assembly of BIH, with a view at simplification of the procedure concerning a right to association, and its harmonisation with the European practice in this field. 

By this enactment the issue of registration of associations and foundations, which are now regulated by a single piece of legislation, will be separated into two pieces of legislation.

Under the Proposal Law, associations may be founded by at east three founders holding residence and domicile, i.e. seat in the territory of BIH.

This Law regulates activities of foreign associations in BIH.

The Council of Ministers of BIH defined a Proposal Law on Amendments and Supplements of the Law on Ministries and Other Administrative Bodies of BIH, which will be sent to the Parliamentarian procedure. The Proposal Law defines competences of the Ministry for Human Rights and Refuges concerning admitting and accommodation of BIIH citizens to be repatriated to Bosnia and Herzegovina under the Agreement on Readmission.

The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted a Report on 2011 Budget Execution of BIH Institutions of and International Obligations of BIH, which the Ministry of Finance and Treasury will provide to the Parliamentarian Assembly of BIH.

According to the report, total revenues and receivables for funding of BIH Institutions in 2011 amounted to KM 848,863,768.00 or 94% relative to Budget projections, including the realised transferred revenues from the previous year.

BIH Budget expenditures amounted to KM 902,492,572.00, or 99.7 % relative to the adopted Budget, i.e. to the corrected Budget. Total expenditures of BIH institutions were less for KM 74 million or 7.7 % relative to the previous year.

Bosnia and Herzegovina is regular in servicing its international liabilities, and under this item, total KM 340,020,687.77 were paid as at Dec, 31, 2011.

The Council of Ministers of BIH defined a Proposal Agreement, with Proposal Basics, on IPA Grant of the European Commission (Second Project of Solid Waste Management - Mostar and Banja Luka) between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, as the EC administrator of the Trust for Pre-Accession Instrument of the European Union. The Ministry of Finance and Treasury will provide the Proposal Agreement and its Basics to the Presidency of BIH, and Minister of Finance and Treasury Nikola Špirić is proposed as the signatory.

The Grant amount is EUR 5,199,142, out of which the Federation of BIH receives EUR 2,345,142.00 and Republika Srpska receives EUR 2,854,000.00.

The aim of the project is to improve the solid waste management in the areas of Banja Luka and Mostar, which should contribute to the improvement of health of citizens and protection of natural environment from the harmful agency of waste.

The Council of Ministers of BIH defined a Proposal Financing Contract between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the European Investment Bank (EIB) for the Corridor V c Phase II, with the Basics for its conclusion, and will send it to the Presidency of BIH, while Minister of Finance and Treasury Nikola Špirić is proposed as the signatory.

The aim of the Project is the construction of two 31 km long sections of motorway on the Corridor V c, namely Vlakovo-Tarčin 20.35 km long and Svilaj- Odžak 10.76 km long, including a bridge over Sava River.

With the construction of this motorway Bosnia and Herzegovina will have a motorway link to Croatia to North and South of country. The Project is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2014.

The EIB Loan for this project is worth EUR 166 million, with 25 year term and 4 year grace period, and it is allocated to the Federation.

The Council of Ministers of BIH defined Proposal Basics for accession of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (CHAVIO), which will be provided to the Presidency of BIH by the Ministry for Human Rights and Refuges, while Minister of Foreign Affairs Zlatko Lagumdžija is proposed as the signatory.

BIH’s accession to the convention will contribute to suppression and elimination of violence against women, as well as to an expedited elimination of discrimination against women based on gender in public and private life in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Council of Europe Convention was adopted on April 7, 2011, as the first legal instrument in the world to create a comprehensive legal framework or protection of women against all forms of violence.

The Council of Ministers of BIH defined a Proposal Basics for conclusion of a Financing Agreement between BIH and the European Commission under the 2011 National Cooperation Programme, within the Instrument of Pre-Accession Assistance, in amount of EUR 122,874,267. The Ministry of Finance and Treasury will provide the Proposal Basics to the Presidency of BIH, and Head of the BIH Directorate for European Integrations Nevenka Savić is proposed as the signatory.

The funds in amount of EUR 91,280.00 or 74.90% will be provided from the IPA, while the remaining funds in amount of 31,594,297 or 25.715 will be provided from the State Budget of the lower levels of authority, including from intenrational non-financing institutions and grant beneficiaries.

Separate implementation contracts and agreements will be concluded three years at latest after the date of conclusion of the Financing Agreement between BIH and the European Commission.

The funds are intended for the projects in the following sectors: public administration reform, justice and internal affairs, private sector development, transport, environment and climate change,, social development and acquis.

Upon a proposal of the Ministry of Communications and Transport, the Council of Ministers of BIH took a Decision on the level of fees for licences for transporters, vehicles and drivers qualification cards.

Under the Decision, the fee the licence for transporters for international road transport of passengers is KM 20, and fee for vehicle licence for international road transport of cargo/passengers and for drivers qualification card is KM 10.

The Council of Ministers of BIH took a decision to approve construction of the Indirect Taxation Administration of Bosnia and Herzegovina regional centre facilities in Mostar, Tuzla, Sarajevo and Banja Luka, and for construction of border crossing in Gradiška, reconstruction of border crossings Vradište, Deleruša, Uvac, Gorica and Užljebić, and on preparation works for construction of border crossings Bijača and Svilaj, to be included into the multi-year capital investment programme for 2011-2014.

The Project worth KM 57,869,100.00 requires Budget funding in amounts of KM 19,100.00 in 2012, KM 13,281,699.99 in 2013 and KM 7, 200,000.00 in 2014.

The unutilised funds in amount of KM 15,842,515.00 were transferred to year 2011, while the funds transferred from previous years amount to KM 2,507,886.00.

Upon a proposal of the Ministry for foreign trade and economic relations, The Council of Ministers of BIH took a decision on the seat of the Council for State Aid, which will be locted in East Sarajevo.

The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted information on forest fires and the state of relevant protection and rescue services in this area in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and tasked the Ministry of Security of Bosnia and Herzegovina to prepare, in coordination with competent institutions of BIH, a document “Forest Fire Fighting in Bosnia and Herzegovina” for consideration and adoption by the Council of Ministers. The document should include recommendations and measures for more effective action in this area.

The Ministry of Security of BIH is tasked to propose a working group to prepare the document.

In this way, the Council of Ministers of BIH wants to approach the issue in an orderly way and undertake steps to secure needed equipment and funds for protection and rescue structures for an effective fighting forest fires.

In the period between 202011 and 2011 over 8,000 forest fires were registered in Bosnia and Herzegovina, causing KM 120 million damage.

The Council of Ministers of BIH accepted information of the Ministry of Finance and Treasury on the issue of due and paid foreign debt obligations in the period of January 16 – February 10, 2012.

The Ministry of Finance and Treasury is tasked to pay late interest on amount of EUR 7,303.87, as requested by creditors from the foreign debt servicing account.

This debt was incurred as a consequence of late adoption of the Law on Budget of Institutions of BIH and International Obligations of BIH.

The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted a BIH proposal of BIH Regular Annual Report of BIH progress in the European Integrations as at September 1, 2011 onwards, and tasked the Directorate for European Integrations to translate the document and provide it to the European Commission.

In the light of relationship between BIH and the European Union, the regular annual progress report relates on activities implemented by competent institutions on political and economic criteria and in fulfilment of European standards.

The Council of Ministers of BIH dismissed the current 17-member Council for Sports, appointed on April 9, 2009, and assigned the Ministry of Civil Affairs to launch a procedure for appointment of a new Council for Sports of BIH, after it considered tis information on the Council for Sports status.

The current Council for Sports held only 12 sessions over the past three years, namely 6 in 2009, 4 in 2010 and one in 2011 and 2012, respectively, which is in contravention to its Book of Procedures, calling for meetings on a monthly basis at least.

Also, the Council for Sports has issued its Activity Report only once and that for April 2009 - December 2010, although it is obliged, under the Law on Sports, to report semi-annually to the Council of Ministers of BIH and once a year to the Parliamentarian Assembly.

Upon a proposal of the State Regulatory Agency for Radiation and Nuclear Safety, the Council of Ministers of BIH adopted a Policy of Safety of Ionising Radiation in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The aim of the Policy on Safety from Ionising Radiation in Bosnia and Herzegovina is to establish an effective and transparent system of protection from radiation, which would provide a basis for protection of people and natural environment form harmful effects of ionising radiation, in line with international standards.

Upon a proposal of the Ministry of Security, the Council of Ministers of BIH adopted a Migrations and Asylum Strategy and 2012-2015 Action Plan, thus continuing a good practice of development of strategic documents in the migrations and asylum management, also in conjunction to the EU integration efforts.

The strategy is based on the principles of legality, security of the state and its citizens, integration and international cooperation.

Mid-term aims Strategy aims are the improvement of system of entry/exit system and stay of foreigners in BIH; improvement of effectiveness of supervision and control of the state border; improvement of quality of international and temporary protection; fight against illegal migrations; reduction of smuggling of people; strengthening of institutional capacities; securing of a comprehensive foreigners integration staying legally in BI; and establishment of a permanent coordination system in the BIH migration policy implementation.

The 2012-2015 Action Plan elaborates the goals, containing 39 measures and 227 activities with specified holders and deadlines.

Upon a proposal of the Ministry of Security, The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted an Action Plan for prevention and suppression of criminal acts concerning motor vehicles for 2012-2015, which specifies that car stilling in 2011 was reduced for 557 cases of 33.8 % in relation to year 2010.

The reduction of the number these criminal acts came as a result of constant police and other security agencies in BIH, which will be continued along with the improvement of legal framework and institutional capacities and coordination.

The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted a Regulation on starch and starch-based products; Regulation on fruit jam, jelly, marmalade, sweetened chestnut puree, Regualtion on olive oil market stadnards, Regualtion on looks and ways of use of trade amrk of original products, marks of geographic origin and marks of tarditional reputation of food, developed by the Agency for Food Safety, aiming at their harmonsaition with relevant European directives and improved consumer and producer protection in BIH.

Upon a proposal of the Ministry of Finance and Ttreasury, the Council of Ministers of BIH took a conclusion on granting its consent for operations and projects of the European Investment Bank in Bosnia and Herzegovina, namely approval of an EUR 20 million loan to the Sparkasse Bank, JSC Sarajevo for crediting SMEs or Municipalities for rational energy use projects, in addition to industry, trade, service and environmental protection projects.

Upon a proposal of the Ministry of Finance and Treasury of BIH, the Council of Ministers of BIH took a decision to grant its consent to the Intensa Sanpaolo Bank JST Bosnia and Herzegovina for borrowing EUR 30 million from the Development Bank of the Council of Europe (CEB) for lending operations to the micro and SME sector in BIH.

The Ministry of Finance and Treasury of BIH is tasked to inform the CEB and prpare a lon application.

The Council of Ministers of BIH granted tis consent to the Ministry of Civil Affairs of BIH and BIH Identification Documents, Evidence, and Data Exchange for signing of an Annex to Contract on production, delivery and sales of passport forms for the needs of BIH citizens with supplier Bundesdruckerei GmbH Berlin. It is about 600,000 passport forms.

The Ministry of Civil Affairs and BIH Identification Documents, Evidence, and Data Exchange are tasked to secure needed funds, together with the Ministry of Finance and Treasury.

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