Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina Holds Its 22nd Session

The Council of Ministers of BIH defined individual proposal extradition contracts between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Croatia, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro. The Ministry of Justice will send these three Proposal Extradition Contacts to the Presidency of BIH for further procedure, and Justice Minister Bariša Čolak is proposed as the BIH signatory. 

The Extradition Contract between BIH and Croatia calls for a possibility of extradition of own citizens for the purpose of criminal prosecution or serving of prison sentence for crimes of corruption, organised crime and money laundry, for which, according to the laws of both countries signatories, a prison sentence is prescribed or a measure that includes the deprivation of liberty of four year duration, or a heavier sentence, and for serious criminal acts for which prison sentence of ten years or heaver sentence is prescribed. Simultaneously, stipulations of the Contract do not pertain to criminal acts of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, or to acts committed before the signing of the Contract.

According to the Extradition Contract between BIH Serbia and BIH and Montenegro, an extradition of citizens of both countries will be enabled because of criminal acts of organised crime and corruption and money laundry, with prescribed prison sentence or measure implying the deprivation of liberty of four years duration or heavier sentence. Also, the extradition will be allowed for other serious criminal acts, i.e. serious forms of criminal acts for which laws of the countries signatories prescribe a prison sentence of at least five year duration or heavier sentence. In this, the extradition of own citizens will be allowed for the criminal acts perpetrated after the signing of these two Contracts. The exemptions are the criminal acts against humanity and other goods protected under the international law, to which the provisions of these Contract do not apply.

The Council of Ministers of BIH defined a Proposal Contact between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Macedonia on Amendments and Supplements to the Extradition Contract between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Macedonia, which the Ministry of Justice will provide to the Presidency of BIH for further procedure, while and Justice Minister Bariša Čolak is proposed as the BIH signatory.

Under the Amendment Contract, criminal acts of corruption and organised crime are defined to be the criminal acts for which the extradition of own citizens will be allowed, while it also defines criminal acts for which the extradition of own citizens will not be allowed. The Amendment Contract also addresses the extradition of citizens for the crime of money laundry. The provisions of the Contract do not apply to criminal acts of crime against humanity and other goods protected under the international law.

The Council of Ministers of BIH defined a Proposal Amendment of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Statute for Executive Board reform, with basics for the conclusion of the Statute Amendments, which will be provided by the Ministry of Finance and Treasury to the Presidency of BIH, and Minister of Finance and Treasury and BIH Governor in IMF dr. Nikola Špirić is proposed as the BIH signatory.

Under the proposed Amendment, the International Monetary Fund Executive Board will be comprised exclusively of executive directors, annulling the category of appointed executive directors with the highest quotas. This amendment would effectuate the increased influence and representation of emerging markets and developing countries in the IMF decision making processes.

The adoption of the Statute Amendments is a condition for an increase of Bosna and Herzegovina’s quota in the IMF.

The Council of Ministers of BIH defined Proposal Basics for launching a procedure for recognition by Bosnia and Herzegovina of competence of the Committee of Forced Disappearances, which the Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees will provide to the Presidency of BIH for further procedure.

This way, Bosnia and Herzegovina starts a procedure to taking over obligation to conduct investigations aimed at locating missing persons, to process persons responsible for disappearances, guarantee a full compensation to the families of missing persons, respond to victims’ claims in BIH and to react efficiently to its international commitments.

Upon a proposal of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations, the Council of Ministers of BIH took a decision on a repeat of quantities of tariff quotas in 2012 in relation to customs-free import of raw sugar from sugar cane for further refining process.

Under this decision the quantity of tariff quotas is repeated for 2012 amounting to 50,000 tonnes to be used in installed capacities in BIH until Dec. 31, 2012.

Upon a proposal of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations, the Council of Ministers of BIH took a decision on supplement to the Decision on ban of import and transport of certain deliveries to Bosnia and Herzegovina for the prevention of entering African swine flu, which includes Ukraine into a list of countries from which certain animals and products of animal origin are banned from import.

Upon a proposal of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations, the Council of Ministers of BIH took a decision on supplement to the Decision on ban of import and transport of certain deliveries to Bosnia and Herzegovina for the prevention of entering koi herpes virus, which includes Italy into a list of countries from which certain sorts of fish are banned from import.

The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted information on a proposal of state IPA package for 2013, consisting of 12 agreed to project proposals, which the Directorate for European Integrations will provide to the European Commission in Brussels. The available resources for IA 2013 State Programme for BIH amount EUR 87.09 million.

Previously, the Council of Ministers of BIH adopted information of the Directorate for European Integrations on commentaries of the European Commission for IPA 2012-2013 package, which includes a list of selected projects of the European Commission for financing form IPA 2012 funds.

Bosnia and Herzegovina has provided to the European Commission 20 agreed proposals for IPA 2012, including sector fishes for the sectors of justice and transport - Corridor V c.

Upon reviewing the IPA 2012-2013 package in early September, the European Commission informed the National IPA Coordinator (DIPAC) that it formed the IPA 2012 State package for BIH in total amount of EUR 84.77 million.

Upon a proposal of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the Council of Ministers of BIH adopted a Plan of Labour Market Policy Guidelines with active employment measures in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2012, as prepared by the Agency for Labour and Employment of BIH, in cooperation with the of Republika Srpska, Federation of BIH and Brčko District Employment Bureaus.

Active employment measures of in 2012 aim at facilitating reaching of goals defined under the Employment Strategy, which refer to an increase of employment rate of youth for 2 per cent and of women for 1,5 per cent annually, including a decrease of long time jobless and other categories difficult to employ.

The Plan defines mitigation measures of negative effects the global economic crisis to the BIH labour market.

Upon a proposal of the Ministry of Communications and Transport, the Council of Ministers of BIH granted its consent to a rulebook on Internal Structure and Work Posts Systematisation of the Agency for Air Navigation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with an aim at alignment of Agency’s internal structure and systematisation with international standards as applied in similar organisations in neighbouring and other countries.

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