Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina Holds Its 158th Session

EUROPEAN COMMISSION GRANT FOR BIH-SERBIA CROSS-BORDER COOPERATION PROGRAMME 

The Council of Ministers defined a Proposal Agreement on financing an Activity Programme of Cross-Border Cooperation Serbia – Bosnia and Herzegovina for year 2017 between the European Commission. Government of the Republic of Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The European Union will finance EUR 1,400,000.00, out of EUR 1,647,058.00, which is the total value of the “Serbia – Bosnia and Herzegovina cross-border cooperation activity programme”.

The Agreement term is 12 years, while the operative implementation period is 6 years, from the date of taking effect.

The funds are to be directed to projects promoting cross-border employment, labour mobility, social and cultural inclusion, as well as environmental protection and development of tourism.

The earlier adopted 2014-2020 Cross-Border Cooperation Programme Serbia – Bosnia and Herzegovina is the referent document for the adoption of the Activities Programme document.

The Ministry of Finance and Treasury will provide the proposal Agreement with a Platform for its conclusion to the BIH Presidency for further procedure, and the Director of the Directorate for European Integrations was proposed for the BIH signatory.

 

FINALISATION OF ANSWES TO ADDITIONAL EC QUESTIONS

 

The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted Information of the Directorate for European Integrations on the current state of affairs with the preparation of answers to additional questions from the European Commission Questionnaire.

Currently, 655 additional questions the European Commission sent to Bosnia and Herzegovina this June are in the process of finalisation, with a view of preparation of an opinion to BIH application for EU membership.

According to a supplemented information, 30 work groups has fully completed their assignment and provided their respective answers or discussable questions to the Directorate of European Integrations (Secretariat of the European Integrations Committee).

About 600 questions were agreed or are in the process of agreeing, and the remaining work groups are left to finalise and provide their respective answers.

All received technically finalised answers are sent to coordinators for European integrations at all levels of authority, who will pass them to the Governments for confirmation.

 

PROPOSAL AGREEMENTS WITH NEIGHBOURS ON AIR TRAFFIC SERVICE PROVISION

 

The Council of Ministers of BIH defined and will send to the BIH Presidency separate Proposal Agreements on designating responsibilities for service provision in air traffic between the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Government of the Republic of Croatia and between the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Government of the Republic of Serbia and Government of Montenegro.

The conclusion of these Agreements is an important step ahead in the process of taking over the air space control of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

 

MIGRANT SITUATION

 

The Council of Ministers took note of Information by the Ministry of Security on the situation in the area of migrations in Bosnia and Herzegovina concerning an increased inflow of migrants to BIH, and emphasised a need for strengthening the state border and prevention of illegal entries to BIH.

The priorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina still concern strengthening of capacities of the Border Police, Foreigners’ Affairs Service, realisation of readmission agreements, including strengthening of capacities in the area of asylum and intensification of combat against migrant smuggling.

Migrant accommodation capacities at the existing sites where the migrants already stay will be increased, namely, “Bira” company facilities in Bihać to accommodate total 1,200 migrants, and the former “Ušivak” military barracks in Hadžići for 800 places.

According to the Foreigners’ Affairs Service, the daily inflow of migrants was decreased in November, relative to October this year. From October 31 to November 8, 2018, total 926 illegal migrants were registered, and intention to seek asylum was announced by 872, while one individual only applied for it.

From the beginning of this year to November 8, total 21,708 illegal migrants were registered, of which 1,316 applied for asylum. The most of migrants arrive from Pakistan (7,224), Iran (3,466), Syria (2,616), Afghanistan (2,613), Iraq (1,948), and Libya (764).

 

SECURED CONTINUOUS PROTECTION OF FOREIGNERS, HUMAN TRAFICKING VICTIMS

 

The Council of Ministers adopted Information by the Ministry of Security on a proposal solution for continuous protection and assistance to foreigner human trafficking victims in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The funds will be secured in the budget of the Ministry of Security under the current grants item, and the Council of Ministers of BIH will not take separate decisions anymore on providing such funds on an annual level.

The Council of Ministers wants Bosnia and Herzegovina to secure a continuous protection of rights of foreigners, human trafficking victims, in order to apply smoothly the legislation pertaining to a special protection and assistance to foreign human trafficking victims.

 

RATIFICATION OF PROTOCOL ON COOPERATION IN EDUCATION WITH SLOVENIA

 

The Council of Ministers of BIH, defined, upon a proposal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a Proposal Decision on ratification of validity prolongation of a Protocol between the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Government of the Republic of Slovenia on cooperation in education, to be sent to the BIH Presidency for further ratification procedure.

The Protocol validity will be extended by way of exchange of diplomatic notes, and it will be valid until the end of academic year in which Bosnia and Herzegovina becomes the member of the European Union.

The Protocol equalises citizens of our state with citizens of Slovenia in terms of payment of study costs in Slovenia. Simultaneously, within the Republic of Slovenia Centre for Mobility and European Education Programmes (CMEPIUS), our students have at their disposal 18 monthly scholarships for up-grading at high education institutions in the Republic of Slovenia.

 

AGENCY FOR CIVIL SERVICE OF BIH WILL IMPLEMENT AWARDS OF BIH COURT AND DECISSIONS OF CIVIL SERVICE APPELLATION COMMITTEE

 

The Council of Ministers of BIH took note of Information on solving the status of the representative/agent and deputy representative/agent of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina before the European Court for Human Rights in Strasbourg.

The Agency for Civil Service of BIH is responsible to act upon recommendations of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina and in compliance with two Decisions of the Agency for Civil Service Appellation Committee, which were ordered to annul an ad for managerial civil servants in the Office of Representative /Agent of the Council of Ministers of BIH before the European Court for Human Rights.

The Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees will prepare a Proposal Decision on Amendments and Supplements to the Decision on Representative/Agent of the Council of Ministers of BIH before the ECHR and provide it to both the Council of Ministers of BIH for consideration at the first next session and to Office of Representative/Agent of the Council of Ministers before the EHRC, for the aim of harmonising it with the Law on Civil Service in the Institutions of BIH and Decision on classifying working posts and criteria for description of jobs in the  Institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Also the Council of Ministers will, at its first next session consider a proposal from the Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees for replacement of the incumbent representative/agent of the Council of Ministers of BIH before the ECHR and appointment of acting representative/agent until the end of the vacation procedure.

 

COUNCIL OF MINSITERS ACTIVITY REPORT ADOPTED

 

The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted its 2017 Activities Report, which contains the activities the Ministries implemented last year, within the further promotion of both regional and international cooperation in the process of accession to the European Union and fulfilment of the Council of Ministers obligations under the Reform Agenda.

The Secretariat-General will provide the Report, after having it supplemented, to the Parliamentarian Assembly of BIH.

 

CONTINUED STRENGTHENING FOF INSTITUTIONS FOR COORERATION WITH DIASPORA

 

The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted a Report by the Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees titled “Analysis of All-Level BIH Institutions Employees Capacity Building Training Needs for Cooperation with Diaspora” and Training Plan.

One among the aims is the creation of conditions for higher contribution of the Diaspora to development of BIH by strengthening of capacities for cooperation with Diaspora at all levels of authority through a series of thematic trainings for civil servants, which would build a knowledge base within public sector for work with the Diaspora. The adopted Training Plan will include civil servants from the Entity and State-level institutions.

The Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees of BIH has previously invested a lot of effort in building-up capacities for cooperation with the Diaspora at local level, cooperating with many municipalities throughout BIH.

 

BIH TO PRESENT ITS POTENTIALS AT 2020 WORLD EXPO IN DUBAI

 

The Council of Ministers of BIH took a Decision proposed by the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations on setting-up an Organisation Committee for participation of Bosnia and Herzegovina at the World Exhibition EXPO 202 in Dubai, to be held from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021.

The world exhibition is one of major global events of the great economic, as well as cultural importance, in which about 200 countries are expected to be presented. It is one more chance for Bosnia and Herzegovina to present its potentials in the areas of economy, culture, tourism and innovations. The participation at the EXPO 2020 Dubai, which will be held under the moto “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future” opens prospective possibilities of access to countries with total 3.2 billion consumers.

The Organisation Committee, composed of representatives of responsible State and Entity Ministries and Foreign Investment Promotion Agency, Foreign Trade Chamber of BIH and Entity Chambers of Commerce, will be chaired over by Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations.

The Organisation Committee will, among other things, prepare and propose to the Council of Ministers of BIH a program of participation of Bosnia and Herzegovina at the Expo 2020.

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