Chairman of the Council of Ministers of BIH Vjekoslav Bevanda informed Ministers on the contents of his talks with fired soldiers, who are in a protest, demanding provision for funds for their receivables in this year’s draft Budget, in compliance with the Law in force.
The Council of Ministers will consider options for solving the issue of prematurely retired members of the BIH Armed Forces, all the more for the drafting of the 2012 Budget of BIH Institutions and International Obligations of BIH is in the underway.
Chairman of the Council of Ministers of BIH Vjekoslav Bevanda and Deputies Chairman Nikola Špirić and Zlatko Lagumdžija met on March 20 with representatives of dismissed soldiers in order to find modalities of a lasting solution to the issue of their retirement, in compliance with the Law on Service in the Armed forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina and as per financial capabilities of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Upon a proposal of the Directorate for Economic Planning the Council of Ministers adopted a 2012-2014 Economic Fiscal Programme, to be handed over to the European Commission.
This year’s Economic-Fiscal Programme is sixth one and third one to be delivered to the European Commission, following the signing of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement in June 2008 and the Transitional Agreement coming to force.
The Economic-Fiscal Programme is considered to be prearrangement for a Pre-accession Economic Programme, as a mandatory document for EU candidate countries.
The Council of Ministers endorsed principles agreed to at a meeting of six political parties’ leaders, on March 9, 2012 concerning military and other state property.
The Ministry of Defence is tasked to undertake activities within defined deadlines to prepare a draft decision for realisation of the agreement in relation to the agreed to principles applying to military property.
The Commission for State Property will undertake needed activities, in cooperation with the Ministries of Justice, Finance and Treasury, Foreign Affairs and Defence, BIH Public Attorney’s Office and General Affairs Service to prepare a draft decision for realisation of agreements concerning the rest of State property.
Under the agreed to principles, the issues of property will be governed by a Resolution of the Parliamentarian Assembly of BIH, based on an agreement between the Council of Ministers of BIH and Entity Governments, pursuant to their competences.
Under the principles of division of property as agreed in Banja Luka, perspective immovable military property, as specified under a Decision of the BIH Presidency, will be registered as the property of BIH for needs of the BIH Armed Forces. Also, a part of non-perspective military property, accommodating the BIH Institutions, as well as that on which the Council of Ministers of BIH decides within next 60 days, it will be registered as BIH property; and this failing, a part of non-perspective military property not accommodating BIH Institutions will be registered as property of other levels of authorities.
The Council of Ministers of BIH accepted a Memorandum of Understanding between the European Commission, on behalf of the European Union and Council of Europe and Council of Ministers, on behalf of Bosnia and Herzegovina, on International Monitoring Operation of Census of Population and Households in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2012/13, and authorised Chairman of the Council of Ministers Vjekoslav Bevanda for signing of the Memorandum.
The BIH Statistics Agency proposed the Memorandum to be signed in order to enable the International Monitoring Operation throughout the census process, from preparation to data publication, which will contribute to confidence-building in census and secure the compliance with international recommendations.
The Council of Ministers of BIH will provide to the Presidency of BIH a Proposal Guarantee Contract for a Loan Contract for the Banja Luka – Doboj Motorway Project, Phase I, between BIH and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, with Proposal Basics for negotiations; Minister of Finance and Treasury Nikola Špirić was proposed as the signatory of the Contract.
The Project concerns construction of a 37 km long section of motorway between Doboj and Prnjavor, which is Eastern section of Banja Luka – Doboj motorway.
The amount of loan is EUR 150 million, to be disbursed in two tranches of EUR 75 million each; the repayment period is 15 years with 3 years of grace period and EUROIBOR interest rate. The Loan will be allocated to Republika Srpska.
The Council of Ministers of BIH defined Proposal Basics for conclusion of a Finance Agreement between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Commission of European Communities concerning a multi-beneficiary Tempus Programme within the 2011 IPA Transition and Institution Development Component, that the Ministry of Finance and Treasury will provide to the BIH Presidency; Director of the Directorate for European Integrations Nevenka Savić is proposed as the signatory of the Agreement.
Total assistance of the European Community to Bosnia and Herzegovina for 2011 amounts to EUR 2.4 million, and individual project implementation contracts are to be concluded two years after conclusion of this Agreement at latest.
This Programme will contribute to further harmonisation of the BIH high education with the European standards, improved university administration and enhancement of regional cooperation among universities.
The Council of Ministers of BIH defined Proposal Basics for conclusion of a Memorandum of Understanding between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the European Union on participation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the “Europe for Citizens” Programme, that the Ministry of Justice will provide to the BIH Presidency; the Head of the BIH Mission to the EU is proposed as a signatory of the programme.
The accession of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the Programme will enable a considerable number of stakeholders at local level, primarily civil society organisations, local authorities and other local bodies involving citizen participation to get actively engaged in the implementation of the European Union policy and promotion of cooperation with partners from the Programme participating countries.
Also, potential BIH beneficiaries will be enabled to receive EU funds to finance projects within the Programme fields.
The total Programme budget to year 2013 amounts to EUR 215 million, and its participants include, other than EU members, Croatia, Albania and Macedonia.
Upon a proposal of the Ministry of Security, the Council of Ministers of BIH took a Decision on minimum funds needed for subsistence of foreigners during their intended stay in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2012, in accordance with the Law on Movement and Stay of Foreigners and Asylum.
According the Decision, the minimum amount of funds that a foreigner must have at its disposal on entry into BIH is KM 150, equivalent in foreign currency, for each intended day of stay in the country.
Upon a proposal of the Directorate for European Integrations, the Council of Ministers of BIH adopted “Programme Measures for Implementation of Provisional Agreement/Stabilisation and Association Agreement for the period of Jan. 1 – Dec. 31, 2012”, which provide for implementation of a number of measures in relation to a free movement of goods, agriculture and fishery, trade and institution development.
Also, Ministers adopted Information on proposal project identification fiche of the National IPA Coordinator - Component I for Bosnia and Herzegovina for years 2012 and 2013. The Directorate for European Integrations is tasked to forward proposal sector identification fiche and project identification fiche to the European Commission and Delegation of the European Union in BIH for consideration.
A list of sector and project fiche includes more than 19 projects worth over EUR 240 million. The most of funds for the proposed projects are planned to be allocated for motorway on the Corridor V c and transport regulatory framework, EUR 67,451,704.00 to each, in addition to three projects from justice sector, worth total EUR 67 million.
The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted 18 Regulations as proposed by the Agency for Food Safety of BIH, based on the Law on Food, with an aim at improvement the situation in this area, adjustment to relevant Directives of the European Union and promotion of health of citizens.
They are the Regulation on maximum amount of traces of pesticides in human and animal food of herbal and animal origin (part 1 and part 2); Regulation on amendments and supplements of Regulation on maximum amounts of certain contaminants in food; Regulation on methods of sampling for official controls of traces of pesticides in and on products of herbal and animal origin; regulation on amendments and supplements of Regulation on methods of sampling and analyses for official control of amounts of micotoxins; Regulation on products resembling chocolate, creamy products and candies; Regulation on maximum amounts of radioactive contamination of human and animal food after a nuclear incident and other types of radiological threat; Regulation on amendment of Regulation on beer; Regulation on amendment of regulation of health appropriateness of drinking water; Regulation on amendment and supplement to Regulation on natural mineral and natural spring waters; regulation on marketing standards for floor canned tuna and Atlantic bonito; Regulation on marketing standards for canned sardine, canned sardine quality and sardine type products; Regulation on registration and technical documentation for marketing, marking and packing requirements for genetically modified organisms or products containing/made of or originate of genetically modified organisms; Regulation on contents and extent of risk assessment for marketing of genetically modified organisms or products containing/made of or originating from genetically modified organisms, and risk assessment methodology; regulation on conditions and procedure of issuance of approval for marketing of genetically modified human and animal food newly introduced in BIH, and requirements concerning their traceability and marking; regulation on defining, description, presentation, marking and protection of geographical marks of strong alcoholic drinks; regulation on establishment of a system of development and distribution of single codes for genetically modified organisms; Regulation on amendment and supplement of Regulation on salt for human nutrition; and Regulation on requirements and procedure for issuance of approvals for marketing of newly introduced food in BIH and requirements for special marking of new food.
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