Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina Holds its 40th Session

The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted Information of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations on detection of aflatoxins in milk, and defined a set of measures to protect BIH citizens’ health. 

The Council tasked the BIH Veterinary Office to continue implementation of all necessary measures at border crossings concerning the import of animals and products of animal origin, in a view at health protection of people and animals.

The BIH Veterinary Office is tasked to keep the public regularly informed via tis web site on all products where the aflatoxins level is found to be higher than allowed, and provide all relevant data.

The Agency for Food Safety of Bosnia and Herzegovina is assigned to prepare, within 30 days deadline and in compliance with the Law on Food, a scientific opinion on the M 1 aflatoxins contents in milk products, using available scientific sources in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as its own capacities, and to recommend to Bosnia and Herzegovina legislative authorities a proposal of MDK aflatoxines M1 for milk products for which it was not defined, since the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, has, at an initiative of the Agency for Food Safety adopted a Regulation on maximum allowed quantities of contaminants in food.

The Agency for Food Safety got a 90 day deadline to propose to the Council of Ministers requirements for the import of corn for human nutrition, so as to prevent importers register the corn intended for animal nutrition as human food, which might create a possibility of by-pass, i.e. avoidance of border crossing veterinary inspection control.

The Agency for Food Safety of BIH is tasked to prepare for consideration and adoption by the Council of Ministers of BIH the conditions of import for food of non-animal origin, which may include aflatoxins, in line with to the “EC Direction introducing special conditions for import of certain food from some third countries due to aflatoxins contamination risk.”

The Council recommended to competent inspection bodies of Republika Srpska and the Federation of BIH to execute regular controls of all business subjects dealing with milk and milk products and to inform regularly the BIH Veterinary Office.

Upon a proposal of the Agency for Statistics of BIH, the Council of Ministers of BIH granted its consent to a Framework Plan of Action for the Census of Population, Households and Dwellings in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2013, namely, the part of it which was non-agreed to date. The outstanding issues will be the subject of further harmonisation on which the Council of Ministers of BIH will reflect subsequently.

The Framework Plan contains a set of measures with clearly defined holders of activities and time lines of their execution, and includes activities in the area of legislation, coordination, process management, public campaigns, census logistics, human resources, pilot census and general census, including the enumeration of persons living abroad, and data processing.

The Council of Ministers is aware of different variants of questions from P1 questionnaire concerning the ethnic and religious declaration, citizenship and mother tongue.

The Agency for Statistics of BIH is tasked to choose among offered alternatives the one in compliance with the existing constitutional and legal solutions and to report the Council of Ministers accordingly.

The Council of Ministers of BIH accepted an additional financial support from the European Commission for the Census of Population from the residue of 2009 IPA funds in amount of EUR 7.65 million, as expressed in a letter Directir of EC DG Enlargement Western Balkans Department Pierre Mirel, sent to the Directorate for European Integrations.

The Council of Ministers of BIH defined a Proposal Agreement between the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Government of the Kingdom of Norway on Implementation of the “Public Services for Real Estate Market and European Integrations” Project, which offers support to capacity building in the area of geodesy and increased access to geographical information, aimed at their harmonisation with the EU standards.

The Ministry of Civil Affairs will provide the Proposal Agreement to the BIH Presidency, and Minister Sredoje Nović is proposed as the BIH signatory.

For the realisation of this project, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway, on behalf of the Norwegian Government, provided for NOK 8,661,958.00.

Under the Agreement, the Ministry of Civil Affairs commits to coordinate the Project with Entity administrations for geodesy and property relations.

The Council of Ministers od BIH gave its consent to Exchange of Notes for grant support of the Japanese Government for approximately EUR 2 million for procurement of fire fighting and medical equipment, and tasked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to Exchange Notes between the Council of Ministers of BIH and Government of Japan.

Upon a proposal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Council of Ministers of BIH, took a decision to set up a Coordination Team of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina for coordination of activities towards the implementation of the ESCE/UN security/military-political commitments of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a purpose to establish a more effective coordination mechanism for a full membership in the EU and NATO.

The Team is to coordinate activities and prepare proposals in connection with a reporting obligation to the OSCE and UN pertaining to the work of State, Entity and institutions and bodies of the Brčko District, which are active in security sector, and for the purpose of implementation of international obligations in compliance with domestic legislation and international principles.

The Council of Ministers of BIH considered Information on activities of the Team for Development of Coordination Mechanism Documents for the European integrations process, and tasked the Team to hold one more meeting urgently in order to agree on still non-agreed positions and report to the Council of Ministers of BIH accordingly.

The aim is to arrive at a decision to establish a more effective coordination mechanism for EU integrations goal which would enable Bosnia and Herzegovina to act on a single basis and speak with one voice.

Upon a proposal of the Ministry of Security, the Council of Ministers od BIH took a decision to form an inter-sector Work Group for development of a Plan of Protection and Rescue from natural and industrial catastrophes.

The Work Group will develop a Plan for Protection and Rescue, by December 2013, with due care taken of the UN and other international standards in this area.

The Work Group has 29 members, representing all competent state institutions, Red Cross, Federal Administration of Civilian Protection, Brčko District Department for Public Security, while Idriz Belkić from the Ministry of Security is proposed as Group coordinator.

The Council of Ministers of BIH appointed Maja Stojkić for Director and Mirela Šuman and Dragana Gaonić for Deputy Directors of the Agency for Preschool, Primary and Secondary Education, from the list of the most successful candidates for the selection and appointment, after the public vacancy procedure, implemented by the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

Upon a proposal of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the Council of Ministers of BIH took individual decisions on admittance to the citizenship of Bosnia and Herzegovina of Zorica and Sandra Lipovac, Lichtenstein citizens and co-owners of Private Company “Lipovac GG”, Ltd. Gradišlka.; Tanja Bokšić, citizen of the Republic of Croatia and MA of law, engaged in the NGO sector; London Anthony John William, Canadian citizen and ice hockey player; Anel Hadžić, citizen of the Republic of Austria and prospective member of the BIH Football National Selection; and academician Miodrag Ostojić, citizen of the Republic of Serbia, engaged in development of cardio surgery practice in BIH.

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