Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina Holds Its 27th Session

ACCESS TO EU FUNDS FOR SMEs IN BIH 

The Council of Ministers of BIH defined a Proposal Agreement between the European Union and Bosnia and Herzegovina on  BIH participation in the European  Union  Programme „SME Competitiveness (COSME)“ (2014-2020), and adopted a negotiations report.

This will enable small and medium entrepreneurs to access funds for development and consolidation, as well as new entrepreneurs to start their business, especially young ones and women, facing difficulties in launching their own start-ups. The COSME Programme budget for seven-year period, i.e. 2014-2020 is EUR 2.3 billion.

The Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations will provide the Proposal Agreement to the BIH Presidency for further procedure, and Minister Mirko Šarović was proposed as the BIH signatory.

 

BIH ACCEEDES TO ADDITIONAL PROTOCOL TO CoE CONVENTION ON PFEVENTION OF TERRORISM

 

The Council of Ministers of BIH defined Proposal Basics for conclusion of an Additional Protocol to the Council of Europe Convention on Prevention of Terrorism, which enhances efforts and inter-state cooperation in prevention of terrorism and its adverse consequences.

The Council of Europe Convention on prevention of terrorism is being supplemented by the Protocol in view of criminalisation of certain deeds, brought in connection with terrorism, and the counties-signatories of the Protocol will incorporate it into their respective national legislation, classifying them  as criminal deeds.

The Additional protocol ot the convention was adopted at the Council of Europe session of May 19 this year, and it will be available for signing on October 22, 2015 in Riga (Lithuania).

The Ministry of Security will provide the Proposal Basics to the BIH Presidency for further procedure, and Minister of Foreign Affairs Igor Crnadak was proposed for the BIH signatory.

 

CURENT LICENCES TVALID IN INTNERATIONAL TRAFFIC BY APRIL 5., 2016

 

The Council of Ministers of BIH, upon proposal of the Ministry of Communications and Transport, considered a report on application of a regulation on conditions for issuance of licences and qualification drivers cards.

In that regard, the deadline for completion by the Ministry of Communications and Transport of BIH of procedure for licence issuance will be prolonged to April 15, 2015, as extended from October 15 this year, the deadline earlier set by the Council of Ministers of BIH.

 

TO ADHERE TO RULING OF THE EUROPEAN COURT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS ON FOREIGN CURRENCY DEPOSIT SAVINGS

 

The Council of Ministers of BIH tasked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to prepare and submit to the Council of Ministers a Proposal Decision on establishing of an expert group for monitoring implementation of a ruling of the European Court for Human Rights in case Ališić and others,. The Expert Group will propose moves that Bosnia and Herzegovina needs to take in order to secure successful implementation of the ruling in favour of BIH citizens.

The Expert Group will be comprised of representatives of State Ministries of Finance and Treasury, Justice, and Foreign Affairs, Office of the Council of Ministers' Agent in before the European Court for Human Rights, Entity Ministries of Finance and Directorate for Finance of the Brčko District of BIH.

The Council of Ministers od BIH took these conclusions during consideration of Information of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs concerning the ruling of the European Court for Human Rights in case Ališić and others, based on the conclusion it made at its 21st session.

 

TO COMPLY WITH PROVISIONS OF INTERNATIONAL LAW IN DISPOSING RADIOACTIVE WASTE

 

The Council of Ministers of BIH tasked the State Regulatory Agency for Radiation and Nuclear Safety to consider, in its contacts with the competent regulatory body of the Republic of Croatia, all contentious issues in regard to disposal of radioactive waste at the Trgovska Gora site and to report to the Council of Ministers of BIH accordingly as early as possible.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of BIH is tasked to seek via diplomatic channels from the Republic of Croatia an urgent delivery of information on planned activities of disposal of radioactive waste at the Trgovska Gora site, which was produced at hte Krško Nuclear Power Plant, on which the Republic of Croatia is obliged to comply with the intentional law provisions concerning cross-border environment protection  from ionising emissions.

The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted these conclusion upon consideration of Information of the State Regulatory Agency for Radiation and Nuclear Safety on implementation of stipulations of a Joint Convention on safety of storing wasted fuel and of security of depositing radioactive waste.

Information indicated that the Republic of Croatia failed to seek formally consultations with Bosnia and Herzegovina on the exact site of facility at the Trgovska Gora, andonly a few kilometres away from the territory of BIH, which is not consistent with the Joint Convention.

 

TO CONTROL INDEBTNESS LEVEL

 

The Council of Ministers of BIH called upon the sector of general government to a maximum control of indebtedness level, after it noted information of the Directorate for Economic Planning on fiscal sustainability in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Information says that the potential debt of the BIH general government at the end of 2014 reached 45.6 per cent of GDP, while the real (verified) debt is somewhat closer to the figure of 42.2 per net of GDP, which classifies BIH to middle-indebted counties.

It further say that debt increased for 3 per cent last year, coin relation to the year before, but it is still much lower that the European average of 87 per cent of GDP in the EU 28.

The general Government, as one of sectors in economy of BIH covering all-level authorities, including local, cantonal, Entity an State level, including welfare funds and directorates for construction and maintenance of roads.

According to the information, the figure of indebtedness at the end of 2014 differs quite between the two entities, the potential debt of Government sector in RS reached the Maastricht criterion of 60 per cent of Entity GDP, which is much higher than in the FBIH, having the debt at the level of 38.8 per cent of GDP.

Such high indebtedness of RS, especially its further escalation, might put at risk further fiscal sustainability of BIH, having regard of the role of the Entities in the BIH fiscal policy.

One among main reasons for the up-ward trend of BIH general government’s debt is the average primary budget deficit over the last five years, at the level of 1-3 per cent of GDP annually.

 

INCREASED INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION AND EMPLOYMNT AND DECERASED DEFICIT

 

The Council of Ministers of BIH took note of Information of the Directorate for Economic Planning on macroeconomic trends for January-June 2015, which suggests at positive economic trends in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The trend of industrial growth continued, so in the reported period the volume of industrial production increased for 2 per cent, in relation to the same period last year. The major contribution to overall industrial growth was made in the processing industry, which is mainly export-oriented and which marks a 3.3 growth, compared with the same period last year.

In the second quarter of this year, the foreign deficit was decreased for 2.-1 per cent, in relation to the same period last year.

The number of employed in BIH in June this year was 714.6k, which is an increase for 1.8 per cent, relative to the same month last year.

For the first seven months of the current year, total 3.5 billion of gross revenue was collected, which represents an increase of 4.2 per cent, compared with the same period last year.

The deposit increase of 5-1 per cent was continued in the first seven months of year 215, so that the total deposits reached KM 15.8 billion.

 

PREPARATIONS FOR FIRST JOINT SESSION OF COUNCIL OF MINISTERS OF BIH AND GOVERNMENT OF SERBIA

 

The Council of Ministers of BIH took a Decision to form a Coordination Body for organisation, protocol, security and media preparation of a joint session of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Government of the Republic of Serbia, to  be held on November 4 and 5 this year in Sarajevo.

The Coordination Board will be comprised of the following: State Minister of Defence Marina Pendrš; Minister of Foreign Affairs Igor Crnadak; Minister of Security Dagan Mektić; and Minister of Communications and Transport Slvko Matnović, while Minister of Civol Affairs Adil Osmanović was selected for the session Chair. The Coordination Board will act through four sub-boards for preparation of the session, protocol, security and media.

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