Press Releases
Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina Holds Its 145th Session
06/06/2018
Vijeće ministara Bosne i Hercegovine
The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted a Ministry of Foreign Affairs-initiated Strategy for prevention of arms for mass destruction proliferation (OMU) for 2018-2022.
Previously, a repot was noted on the Strategy drafting process by a Work Group, comprised of representatives of the State level, Entities and Brčko District of BIH, who sent the Strategy for adotion.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will develop an action plan for the Strategy implementation, within five month-time span, in cooperation with all institutions and agencies in BIH, whose representatives took part in the Strategy development, and provide to the Council of Ministers.
The Strategy, by which Bosnia and Herzegovina meets its earlier assumed international obligations, will contribute to security promotion in our country.
Strategic activities are focused at prevention of procurement, making, transport and use of arms for mass destruction, goods for dual and military purposes to be used by authoritarian regimes, criminal and terrorist groups and individuals, and at boosting the prevention system. The document will help a strategic improvement of readiness and fast and efficient response to possible arms for mass destruction-caused crisis, with the improvement of institutional capacities and coordination mechanisms.
By adopting the Strategy, the Council of Ministers of BIH contributes actively to efforts of the international community in prevention of proliferation of arms for mass destruction and strengthens international cooperation in the field.
INFORMATION ON MIGRATION SITUATION
The Minister of Security informed the Council of Ministers of BIH on the current situation as to migration, in connection with an increased inflow of migrants to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
According to available data, in time period between January 1 and June 3 of this year the Service for Foreigners’ Affairs registered 5,319 illegal migrants, of which 4,721 said they intend to seek asylum, and 437 migrants applied for asylum.
The Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees Salakovac Refugee Centre accommodated 188 foreigners as at June 3, who presented their intention to seek asylum or are asylum seekers.
The Council of Ministers of BIH was informed that no asylum application was approved in our country.
Information indicates that an Action Plan of urgent measures, containing five priorities, 17 measures and 273 activities, is in the process of implementation.
The priorities are directed to strengthening of the BIH Border Police for the purpose of better border control and prevention of illegal entries to the BIH territory, increase of capacities of the Service for Foreigners’ Affairs and Ministry of Security Migration Division, improvement of asylum operations capacities and intensification of fight against migrants smuggling, as well as strengthening of readmission capacities together with implementation of readmission agreements.
A support to the BIH Border Police continues in terms of protection of border from illegal migrant entries by deploying additional police staff from BIH police agencies and inclusion of police forces from the Republika Srpska Ministry of Interior and Brčko District Police Department.
Capacities of the Ušivak former military barracks near Hadžići will be used as a joint centre, and by the end of this week it should be used also for migrants, while the Service for Foreigners’ Affairs will run the Centre.
A request was sent to the Council of Europe Development Bank for funds withdrawal from the Fund for Migrants, and activities were finalised for opening a BIH account.
An Operative Staff for Migrations is in continuous contact, and it holds meetings weekly.
Simultaneously, the Ministry of Security and Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees take activities to organise a high level meeting, to be held in Sarajevo, on June 7 this year. The meeting will be devoted to the current situation with migrations and to defining joint future steps; it will gather competent Ministers from the region, EU, as well as representatives from the European Commission and responsible international bodies.
The Council of Ministers took note of information by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs concerning a conclusion of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina from its 23rd session of September 15, 2015 on global migrant crisis.
It is a regular up-dating on positions on the migrant crisis by the key European Union institutions presented at meetings held this April and May.
ON IMPLEMENTTION OF SUCCESSION AGREEMENT - ANNEX G APPLICATION AT NEXT SESSION
The Council of Ministers of BIH postponed for the first next session the consideration of Information on implementation of the Agreement on Succession Issues – Application of Annex G in the Republic of Croatia, due to obligation of Ministers, who had to attend the BIH Presidency session.
The Council of Ministers of BIH will consider at its next session integral information to be prepared by the BIH Minister of Justice, while the BIH member in the Standing Joint Committee of Successor Countries High Representatives will complement it in the part pertaining to general implementation of Annex G in the countries-signatories of the Agreement on Succession Issues.
CONTINUED GROWTH OF ALL ECONOMIC PARAMETERS
The economic growth in the 2018 Q1 was featured by 12.1 per cent growth of export of goods, comared to the same period last year, this was indicated in Information on macroeconomic indices trend for January-March 2018. The first three months of 2018, compared with the same period of in 2017 were marked by a five per cent growth of industrial production, while employment in January and February this year increased for more than three per cent.
The Directorate for Economic Planning informs the Council of Ministers of BIH that in the first three months of 2018, total KM 3.5 billion was collected of public revenues or eight per cent more than in the same period last year.
The public revenues structure was made of 48 per cent of revenues collected by the Indirect Taxation Administration, about 52 per cent were revenues collected by the Entity taxation administrations.
TO ARRANGE BORDER CROSSINGS WITH CROATIA IN INTEREST OF CITIZENS AND ECONOMY
The Council of Ministers of BIH defined a Proposal Platform for negotiations and conclusion of a Contract on Amendments and Supplements to the Contract between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Croatia on Border Crossings, in an intention to solve permanently the outstanding issues in the interest of citizens and economies of both states.
Following taking effect of the Contract between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Croatia on border crossings, citizens and entrepreneurs from BIH launched several initiatives for its amendment, which used to be addressed by temporary decisions on re-categorisation of certain border crossings. Now, these issues are to be solved permanently, in order to facilitate crossing of the joint state border and establish an effective border crossing control system.
The Proposal Platform will be provided to the BIH Presidency for further procedure, and the Minister of Security was proposed for the BIH signatory.
IMPROVED FOOD SAFETY SYSTEM IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
The Council of Ministers of BIH defined a Proposal for conclusion of a Memorandum of Understanding concerning the implementation of “Improvement of Food Safety System in Bosnia and Herzegovina Project within Development Cooperation between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Czech Republic”.
The Memorandum is to be concluded between: the FBIH Food Safety Agency; Veterinary Office of BIH; Phytosanitary Administration of BIH; Ministry of Agriculture, Water Management and Forestry of Republika Srpska; Ministry of Agriculture, Water Management and Forestry of the Federation of BIH; Brčko District Agriculture, Water Management and Forestry Division; Entity Administrations for Inspection Operations; Inspectorate of the Brčko District of BIH; Czech Development Agency; Central Institute for Supervision and Control in Agriculture Brno; and the State Veterinary Institute in Prague.
The Project will contribute to improved food safety in BIH, focusing at responsible agricultural production and promotion of health-safe food. This is a concrete support to the establishment of a functional control system for pesticides and fertilisers, integral herb protection, official salmonella sampling system, as well as a food additives control system. It is fully harmonised with relevant European Commission recommendations, and will capacitate the competent all-level authorities.
The Proposal for conclusion of the Memorandum will be provided to the BIH Presidency for further procedure, the Minister for Foreign Trade and Economic Relations was proposed for the BIH signatory.
BIH ACCESSION TO OECD GLOBAL FORUM
The Council of Ministers of BIH defined and will send to the BIH Presidency a BIH Proposal Basics for Accession of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the Global Forum on Transparency and Data Exchange for Taxation Purposes. Bosnia and Herzegovina will thus join the Global Forum member-countries in combating tax evasions by implementation of international agreed-to standards on transparency and data exchange in this area. Also, conditions will be created for accession to the Global Forum technical assistance programmes.
The BIH Presidency was proposed to authorise the state Minister of Finance and Treasury to fill in an application for BIH membership in the Global Forum, and about EUR 17,5k will be secured for BIH membership for year 2018.
The Global Forum on Transparency and Data Exchange for Taxation Purposes has 145 members, among whom all Group 20 countries and all OECD members. It acts as a self-financing body with separate Secretariat within the OECD.
CONTINUATION OF DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION BETWEEN BIH AND FR GERMANY
The Council of Ministers of BIH defined a Proposal Platform for launching negotiations for conclusion of an Agreement between the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Government of the Federal Republic of Germany on accepting a 2016 Technical Cooperation Project, worth total EUR 7.5 million.
So, EUR 4.5 million, i.e. EUR 2.25 million will be directed for support to public institutions strengthening and an equal amount to energy efficacy, while EUR three million, EUR 1.5 million support to the “Professional Training” Project and the same funds for the “Local Self-Governance and Support to Economy Project”. The implementation of Projects, started in 2013 by the German General Enterprise for International Cooperation (GIZ) and run in cooperation with local communities, will be continued under the Agreement.
The Proposal Platform will be provided to the BIH Presidency for further procedure, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs was proposed for the BIH signatory.
POTATE SAFE FOR BOTH EXPORT FROM BIH AND PLACEMENT TO DOMESTIC MARKET
No evidence of looked for quarantine pathogenic organisms in potato grown in BIH in 2017, reads a Report adopted by the Council of Ministers of BIH, upon an initiative of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations BIH Phytosanitary Administration, which will be forwarded to the European Commission.
It practically means that BIH fulfils phytosanitary requirements for the continuation of both export to the EU countries and placement to domestic market.
The report was made within a special supervision programme (system control) for quarantine pathogenic organisms in potato in Bosnia and Herzegovina, implemented by the BIH Administration for Protection of Herbs, in cooperation with the competent Entity Ministries of Agriculture and Brčko District of BIH responsible institution.
Bosnia and Herzegovina is one among few countries outside the EU, which may trade with the EU with mercantile potato since 2015, after the absence of potato ring rot was confirmed in BIH.
KM 100k GRANT FOR CASH AWARDS TO DESERVING AND TOP-RANKING SPORTSPERSONS
The Council of Ministers of BIH, upon a proposal of the Ministry of Civil Affairs took a decision on criteria or distribution of funds intended for “Grant for awarding funds for deserving and top-ranking sportspersons of international class” for 2018, worth KM 100k.
The right to grant is to sportspersons applying personally or by their sports clubs on their behalf, upon a public call for categorisation by the Ministry of Civil Affairs, in compliance with a Rulebook for Categorisation of Sportspersons at BIH level, which sets the criteria, too.
The session also adopted a report on intended expenditure of grant funds for presenting cash awards to deserving and top-ranking sportspersons of the international class for year 2017, which the Ministry of Civil Affairs will provide to the BIH Parliamentarian Assembly.
TOTAL KM 64k APPROVED FROM CURRENT RESERVES
The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted, upon a proposal of the Ministry of Finance and Treasury of BIH, Information on distribution and use of current reserves for January-March 2918.
Information suggests that out of planned KM 2,269.000 current reserves funds, total approved was KM 64,000 in January-March 2018, of which KM 59,000 was used based on separate decisions by members of the BIH Presidency, KM 5,000 was used based on separate decisions by the Chairman and Deputies Chairman of the Council of Ministers of BIH.
SIGNIFICAT GROWTH OF GRANTS FOR CULTURE
The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted a Report of the Ministry of Civil Affairs of BIH on realisation of resources based on current grants in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017, respectively for the area of culture.
According to 2014 Culture Sector Report, grant funds were awarded in total amount of KM 1,350,000 to 86 beneficiaries, while “international cultural exchange” grant amounted to KM 270,000, with 60 beneficiaries using the grant. Also, in year 2015 for support to cultural institutions and projects total KM 2, 197,000 was set aside for 169 beneficiaries with whom contracts were concluded. Also a grant for international cultural exchange was increased to reach KM 390,000.00 for 82 beneficiaries.
The increase of funds for culture continued through 2016, when the total grant for co-financing of projects run by cultural institutions in BIH amounted to KM 3,097,000, the same amount was allocated in 2017 to 132 beneficiaries in BIH. Grants for international cooperation in culture in 2016 and 2017, respectively, were 390,000 for each year, while funds in 2016 were used by 76 beneficiaries, while in 2017 there were 52 beneficiaries.
CoM DELEGATION AT WESTERN BALKANS SUMMIT IN LONDON
The Council of Ministers of BIH took note of information by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the up-coming Western Balkans Summit in London to take part within the British chairing of the Berlin Process, where a delegation of the Council of Ministers of BIH is to take part.
Besides a July 10 meeting of Prime Ministers of the region, the Summit will gather Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Ministers of Security and Interior at separate meetings on July 9, in London, while a regional meeting of Ministers of Economy will be held in Vienna on July 4.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will prepare and send to the Council of Ministers of BIH a proposal composition of Coordinating Team for preparation of the BIH participation at the London Western Balkans Summit, which team will include representatives of the competent State-level Ministries and Directorate of European Integrations.
PREPARATIONS STARTED FOR ORGANISATION OF EBRD GOVERNORS ANNUAL MEETING
The Council of Ministers took a decision, upon a proposal by the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations, on appointing a Coordination Body for monitoring and prearrangement of an EBRD Board of Governors Annual Meeting in Sarajevo 2019, to which representatives of competent Ministries and bodies of the Council of Ministers of BIH were designated.
The 2019 EBRD Board of Governors Annual Meeting will be held in Sarajevo in time between May 7 and May 9, 2019.
The meeting, which will be held in Bosnia and Herzegovina for the first time, was initiated by the Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations, and besides EBRD Governors it will gather a number of businessmen.
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