Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina Holds its 57th Session

The Council of Ministers of BIH defined a Proposal Law on Amendments and Supplements to the Law on Border Control, in order to harmonise it with relevant EU regulations and enable a full implementation of an Agreement between member-countries of North Atlantic Treaty and other counties participating in the Partnership for Peace on the legal status of their respective forces. 

The Amendments and Supplements to the Law adjust the terminology with that in a directive of the European Parliament and Council of European Union.

Aside from a new definition of a joint border crossing and car transporters in air traffic, the supplements to the Law specify competences of the Border Police of BIH in carrying out their duties of police officers in terms of control of persons and vehicles at border crossings.

The Ministry of Security will provide the Proposal Law to the Parliamentarian Assembly of BIH.

 

The Council of Ministers of BIH defined a Proposal Finance Agreement between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the European Commission concerning a 2013 TEMPUS Multi-Beneficiary Programme under the Instrument of Pre-Accession Assistance.

The aim of the project is to facilitate reforms in education and improve the work of higher education institutions. For the realisation of the Programme the European Commission will provide a grant worth EUR 2.4 for Bosnia and Herzegovina, while individual projects will be contracted severally.

The Ministry of Finance and Treasury will provide the Proposal Agreement with basics for its conclusion to the Presidency of BIH for further procedure, while Director of the Directorate for European Integrations Nevenka Savić was proposed as the BIH signatory.

 

Upon a proposal of the State Regulatory Agency for Radiation and Nuclear Safety, the Council of Ministers of BIH took a decision on adoption of a Strategy for Managing Radioactive Waste in Bosnia and Herzegovina, aiming to secure the highest level protection of people and environment from ionising radiation.

Under the Strategy, a unified approach will be assumed in BIH to the management of radioactive waste, which presumes the storing radioactive waste at a single storing facility in the territory of BIH.

The Council of Ministers of BIH will define a final location of for the central location for storing of radioactive waste, and the belonging facility will be owned by the state.

 

The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted a document of the Directorate for Economic Planning, titled Economic Trends in Bosnia and Herzegovina for the first half of this year, which indicates a slight economic growth.

The growth is, primarily, due to a growth in exports and industrial activity, where the export of electric power takes a special place, while the export of merchandise shows an increase higher than 15 per cent.

Construction works had growth of 6.9 per cent, due to public investments in the road infrastructure, which made an increase of 41 per cent.

The BIH current account deficit in this period of time was KM 750 million, as decreased for about 40 per cent compared with the same period last year, reports the Directorate for Economic Planning, and adds that the total exchange of goods with foreign countries was increased for about 2.2 per cent, while the export was KM 4.2 billion, as represents an increase of 8.7 per cent relative to the same period last year.

A slight increase of prices of 0.6 per cent was registered in BH in the first six months of this year,  however, prices in categories of transport, health care, cloth and footwear were lower, while food, tobacco and housing prices slightly increased.

 

The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted Information of the Directorate for European Integrations on Findings and Recommendations of the European Commission contained its BIH Progress Report for 2013 and Enlargement Strategy and Key Challenges 2013-2014.

Ministries and other administrative bodies are tasked to consider both the Report and Strategy and to insert activities in their relative 2014 Plans of Action, aimed for overcoming deficiencies indicated in the Report and Strategy.

 

Upon a proposal of the Ministry of Finance and Treasury, the Council of Ministers of BIH took a decision to approve a project of reconstruction of a building at St. Maršala Tita 9a for the purpose of accommodating eight institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the project, worth total KM 1,300,000.00 is to be included into the multi-year capital investment programme for 2013-2014.

In this way, 206 employees in the Institutions of BIH will be accommodated, and savings of KM 1,005,152.00 made, while the investment will be paid off for a year and four months’ time.

In connection with that, Ministers took decision to approve KM 1.3 million from current budget reserves to be allocated to the General Service of BIH Institutions for the needs of reconstruction of the building at St. Maršala Tita 9a.

Following the completion of the project, the General Service of the BIH Institutions will report to the Council of Ministers of BIH on completion of the project and its costs.

 

Upon a proposal of the Indirect Tax Administration (ITA), the Council of Ministers of BIH took a decision on amendments and supplements of the decision approving projects of construction of facilities for ITA regional centres in Mostar, Tuzla, Sarajevo and Banja Luka; construction of the Gradiška border crossing; and reconstruction of Vardište, Deleuša, Uvac, Gorica and Užljebić border crossings; and execution of preparatory works for the construction of the Bijača and Svilaj border crossings, which will be included into the multi-year capital investments programme for 2011-2014, worth total KM 74,869,100.00.

 

Upon a proposal of the General Service of the BIH Institutions, the Council of Ministers of BIH took a decision to approve the procurement of facilities for accommodation of Institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Sarajevo, Tuzla, Mostar, Banja Luka and East Sarajevo, worth total KM 20,000,000.00, under the multi-year capital investments programme until 2014.

A Committee was designated by the Council of Ministers for the implementation of the procurement procedure for facilities for accommodation of the BIH Institutions.

Total KM 9 million were approved for these purposes, namely, KM one million for Tuzla, KM six million for Mostar, KM three million for Banja Luka, and KM one million in East Sarajevo.

 

Upon a proposal of the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of BIH, the Council of Ministers of BIH took a decision approving a follow-up of the BIH judicial institutions computerisation and capacity building project, which will be included into the 1014-2016 multi-year capital investments programme.

The project implementation will be funded through budget resources in amount of KM 5,850,000.000, i.e. KM 1,950,000.00 annually from 2014 to 2016, while KM7,508,319.00 of donor funds were provided in amount of KM 7,099,663.00 from IPA funds and KM 408,656.00 from Governments of Sweden and Norway.

The total value of the computerisation and capacity building of BIH judicial institutions is KM 13,385,319.00.

 

Upon a proposal of the Ministry of Security, the Council of Ministers of BIH took a decision on continuation of implementation of multi-year capital investment project of the Service for Foreigners’ Affairs of total value of KM750,000.00, which will be used for the procurement of a field office in Banja Luka.

The finances for the project are KM 150,000.00 of residual funds from the construction of the Service HQ and field office in Sarajevo project and KM 600,000.00 approved by the Council of Ministers of BIH.

Total KM 4000,000.00 has been already provided for, while the remaining KM 350,000.00 will be planned in the 2014 Budget of BIH Institutions and international obligations.

 

The Council of Ministers of BIH defined a Proposal Agreement between the Council of Ministers of BIH and Government of the Republic of Macedonia on exchange and mutual protection of classified data, which sets the rules for exchange of classified data.

The Ministry of Security of BIH and Macedonian Directorate for Security of Classified Data are in charge for the implementation of the Agreement.

The Ministry of Security will provide the Proposal Agreement to the Presidency of BIH for further procedure, and Assistant Minister of Security Mato Miletić is proposed as the BIH signatory.

 

Upon a proposal of the Ministry of Justice, the Council of Ministers of BIH took a decision to set-up a cross-sector work group for the preparation of a Draft Law on Amendments and Supplements to the Law on Freedom of Access to Information in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

A representative from each the Agency for Protection of Personal Data, Ministries of Justice and Security and Institution of Ombudsman for Human Rights in BIH were appointed to the work group.

The work group is tasked to make an analysis of the Law on Freedom of Access to Information in BIH, including the level of its harmonisation with the Council of Europe Convention on Access to Official Documents, and they are to propose the amendments of the existing Law within three months from the effectiveness of the decision.

 

For the purpose of implementation of its conclusions from the 7^th and 62th session, the Council of Ministers of BIH adopted individual analyses by several Ministries on the effectiveness of operation and justifiability of existence of certain administrative organisations.

The Secretariat-General of the Council of Ministers of BIH is tasked to create a single document based on these analyses and appropriate responses and to provide it to the Parliamentarian Assembly of BIH.

Ministers considered the analysis of the effectiveness of operation and justifiability of  existence of the Central Harmonisation Unit within the Ministry of Finance and Treasury; Veterinary Office, BIH Directorate for Phytosanitary Protection, and Office for  Harmonisation and Coordination of Payment System in Agriculture, Foodstuffs and Rural Development, within the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations; Office of Agent of Bosnia and Herzegovina before the European Court for Human Rights in Strasbourg and Agency for Gender Equality in BIH, within the Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees; BHDCA and BIH Railways Regulatory Board, within the Ministry of Communications and Transport. In addition, Ministers considered a response from the Ministry of Security to a question which is the competent roof institution of the Agency for Police Support, Agency for Staff Education and Professional Up-Grading, and Agency for Forensic Investigation.

The Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Defence have no independent administrative organisations as part of their institutions or within their respective sectors.

 

Upon a proposal of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations, the Council of Ministers of BIH took a Rulebook, amending the Rulebook on measures for prevention, control and extermination of transmissive spongiform encephalopathy to adjust it to relevant European Union regulations.

The amendments of the Rulebook, among other things, focus on quick tests for monitoring of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, and set forth its mandatory methods.

 

Upon a proposal of the Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees, the Council of Ministers of BIH took a decision on appointment of members of the Council of Children of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Assistant Minister for Human Rights and Refugees Saliha Đurdelija is appointed for  President of the Council for Children, and eight representatives from State-level institutions, in addition to two representatives from NGOs and three representatives from the academic community were appointed as members of the Council.

The Council for Children of BIH is tasked for monitoring of the State Action Plan for Children, aimed at the protection and promotion of rights of children in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

(end)