Council of Ministers Holds Its 51st Session

The Council of Ministers of BIH defined, by a majority vote, a Proposal Law on Amendments and Supplements to the Election Law of BIH, thus harmonising its certain provisions with a relevant Decision of the Constitutional Court of BIH, in a part addressing the titles of municipalities in Republika Srpska and election activities in Mostar. 

The Amendment Law defined that all ballots will be counted at the polling stations, except for those ballots which arrived by post – absentee voting - and unverified ballots. The election HQ will count ballots upon demand by a municipal election commission, certified political party, coalition, independent candidate or a list of independent candidates. An institute of protection of electoral right is secured through a right to appeal through election process, including the right to appeal to the Appellation Division of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina because of election results, as well as through a request for recounting of ballots.

According to the Amendments Law, mandates won by a list are to be distributed according to the candidate precedence at the list.

The proposal defines that all 35 Councillors will be elected at direct and secret balloting throughout the City of Mostar. Each of constitutive peoples has to have at least four representatives in the City Council, and “others” at least one representative.

The Ministry of Justice will provide the Proposal Law to the Parliamentarian Assembly of BIH for consideration under regular legislative procedure.

The Council of Ministers of BIH defined a Proposal Law on Amendments and Supplements to the Law on Foreign Trade Chamber of Bosnia and Herzegovina (VKTBiH), setting the upper limit of annual membership fee, so as to establish a smooth operation of economic entities and functional market.

Under the Amendments Law, a member of the Chamber will pay a monthly membership fee which cannot be higher than a triple average salary in Bosnia and Herzegovina in previous calendar year, defined based on official data from the Agency for Statistics of BIH.

It was found that the Chamber owed to submit its 2012 Budget Execution Report to the Council of Ministers by March 31.

The Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations will provide the Proposal Law to the Parliamentarian Assembly of BIH for consideration under urgent procedure.

The Council of Ministers of BIH defined Proposal Basics for Conclusion of a Finance Agreement between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the European Commission on IPA Programme for Adriatic Cross-Border Cooperation – within the 2012-2013 Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance - aimed to enhance possibilities of sustainable development of the Adriatic Region.

The total value of the 2007-2013 programme is EUR 245,611,916, of which EUR 17,217,372 was intended for BIH, in addition to EUR 3,054,905 in 2012 and EUR 3,116,003 in 2013.

The programme supports the cross-border cooperation between Greece, Italy, Slovenia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia.

The Ministry of Finance and Treasury will provide the Proposal Basics to the Presidency of BIH, and Director of the Directorate for European Integrations Nevenka Savić was proposed as the BIH signatory.

The Council of Ministers of BIH defined individual proposal basics for initiating a procedure for conclusion of two finance agreements between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the European Commission on Cross-Border Cooperation: Bosnia and Herzegovina –Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina – Croatia, within the Cross-Border Cooperation Component of IPA 2012.

The value of the Bosnia and Herzegovina – Montenegro Cross-Border Cooperation Programme is EUR 1,411,764, of which Montenegro and BIH get 50 per cent or EUR 705,882 each, in which EUR 600,000 IPA grant is supported by EUR 105,822 from beneficiary counties.

The funds will be spent for the implementation of cross-border cooperation projects in the areas where a common economic-social environment is created for peoples, communities and economies, and this includes a technical assistance.

The Finance Agreement between Bosnia and Herzegovina and European Commission on Bosnia and Herzegovina – Croatia Cross-Border Cooperation Programme provides for total EUR 2,352,941 .12, of which both BIH and Croatia get 50 per cent each. Out of total EUR 1,176,470.58, IPA 2012 provides a million EUR for each Bosnia and Herzegovina and for Croatia, while both countries will contribute EUR 176,470.58 severally. The funds are intended for financing of projects whihc concern creation of a joint economic space, social cohesion and improve quality of life of citizens.

The initiator, Ministry of Finance and Treasury, will provide the separate Proposal Basics to the Presidency of BIH, and Director of the Directorate for European Integrations Nevenka Savić was proposed as the BIH signatory.

The Council of Ministers of BIH accepted an Initiative of the Ministry of Finance and Treasury, and designated a negotiating delegation for conclusion of a Contract No.1 under Amendment of Loan Contract, concluded on October 28, 2008 for Corridor V c Project between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the European Bank for Construction and Development.

This Amendment increases the amount of original loan from EUR 180 million to EUR 205 million. The EUR 25 million increase is intended for the construction of the Vlakovo-Tarčin section, Suhodol-Tarčin sub-section (20 million) and for financing of the Bijača border-crossing on Počitelj-Bijaka section at Bijača – Kravice sub-section (EUR 5 million).

The loan repayment schedule is 22 semi-annual instalments with EURIBOR interest rate, and the whole amount will be allocated to the Federation of BIH.

The project completion is planned for December 31, 2014.

The Council of Ministers of BIH defined a Proposal Free Trade Agreement between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), which the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations will provide to the Presidency of BIH for further procedure, and Minister Mirko Šarović is proposed as the BIH signatory.

This Agreement introduces custom free trade for industrial products and fish and fishery products between BIH and EFTA, which is comprised of Norway, Switzerland, Lichtenstein and Island.

Upon a proposal of the Directorate for European Integrations, the Council of Ministers of BIH adopted a Report on the second round of negotiations on a Protocol to the Provisional Agreement on Trade and Trade Issues between the European Union and BIH - in order to take into consideration the accession of the Republic of Croatia to the European union – along with an Addendum 2 to the Negotiating Position of BIH.

The BIH negotiating delegation is tasked to prepare a BIH proposal to include BIH offer, on which the Council of Ministers of BIH will reflect, and to set-up the date of continuation of the negotiations with the European Commission representatives.

BIH economy needs to be protected to a maximum extent, and a readiness was shown for cooperation concerning the preparation of a list of products for trade between BIH and the European Union member-countries following the Republic of Croatia’s joining the EU, but which will not be disfavouring BIH.

The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted Information of the Ministry of Communications and Transport on follow-up on earlier conclusions of the Council of Ministers of BIH on possibilities of managing legally seized vehicles of the Indirect Taxation Administration.

The Indirect Taxation Administration, State Agency for Investigations and Protection and Council of Ministers Work Group for preparation and monitoring of implementation of the Action Plan for prevention and suppression of crimes concerning motor vehicles 2012-2015 are all assigned to designate members to the Work Group. Following the appointment, the Work Group will, within 45-day deadline, identify the real state of the vehicles, categorise them, in terms of defining relevant data and accompanying documentation under legal registries, rate of possible devastation, possible illegal actions, and will prepare a consolidated report to the Ministry of Communications and Transport for further action.

The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted a Report on participation of members of the Armed Forces, police officers and public servants of Bosnia and Herzegovina in peace support operations in period July 1 – December 31, 2012.

According to the Report, a peace-support operation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC) and NATO-led International Security Assistance Forces (ISAF) peace-support operation in Afghanistan involved 60 members of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the reported period.

UN peace-support police operations in Liberia, on Cyprus and in Sudan (South Sudan and Abyei) involved 46 police officers form Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Report was prepared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in cooperation with the Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Security, and it will be forwarded to the Presidency of BIH. Defence Minister Zekerijah Osmić is designated as a rapporteur.

Upon a proposal of the Ministry of Security, the Council of Ministers of BIH adopted an Analysis of Implementation Rate of Action Plan of the BIH Anti-Organised Crime Strategy (2009-2012), which indicates that both general and specific goals were implemented through more than 75 measures and activities.

Upon a Proposal of the Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees, the Council of Ministers of BIH took a decision to adopt the Ethic Code for Research with Children and on Children in Bosnia and Herzegovina, compliant with the UN Convention of Rights of Child and with an aim to protect children from any sort of abuse.

The Code of Ethic Principles and Norms represents an integral document for all individuals and institutions working directly on researches which involve children in any way. The Ethic Code starts form the primary principle of child’s best interest and its well-being and it concerns children under 18 years of age.

According to the Code, a research with children, as participants, is only to be conducted when intended findings were impossible to reach in other way and the research is expected to bring about much better children benefitting results.

Upon a proposal of the Agency for Civil Service, the Council of Ministers of BIH adopted a Code of Conduct for Civil Servants in the Institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The purpose of the Code is for a civil servant, as a representative of its institution, to behave in a way to protect both public and private interests, based on the Constitution and laws, and thus contribute to strengthening of a role and dignity of the service.

The Council of Ministers of BIH considered the implementation of its conclusion in the first quarter of 2013, which suggests that out of 210 conclusions, 184 or 88 per cent were implemented, while 26 remained unimplemented.

Ministries and other institutions in default of complete implementation of the Council of Ministers conclusions are to implement them fully without further delay, while the conclusions which implementation requires a longer time period or cooperation with other institutions should accelerate their own implementation activities.

The implementation of the Council of Ministers conclusions should remain a priority for all the Ministries and other institutions.

Upon a proposal of the Ministry of foreign Affairs, the Council of Ministers of BIH took decisions to appoint Željko Jerkić, Head of Division for Peace and Security in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of BIH for BIH National Coordinator for Central-European Initiative (CEI), for BIH National Coordinator in the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) and in the South Eastern Europe Cooperation Process (SEECP).

Upon a proposal of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the Council of Ministers of BIH decided that Minister of Civil Affairs Sredoje Nović will take part at the opening of the BIH Pavilion within the Venetian Biennale of Contemporary Art, on May 30 this year, with a suggestion that Entity representatives should join him.

The Council of Ministers of BIH has earlier accepted BIH’s participation and allocated KM 180,000 for BIH’s representation at the 55^th Venetian Biennale of Contemporary Art 2103, at which BIH will be represented by artist Mladen Miljanović with project procurators Dr Sarita Vujković and Dr Ifran Hoškić and Exhibition Commissioner artist Braco Dimitrijević.

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