Sjednice
Council of Ministers Holds of Bosnia and Herzegovina Its 75 Session
04/07/2025
The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted the Ministry of Security 2025-2030 Small Arms and Light Weapon Control Strategy (SALW) in Bosnia and Herzegovina and an Action Plan for its implementation for 2025-2027, with a correction made at the session.
The Strategy and accompanying Action Plan are the framework of priority aims and activities in the area of SALW control and are harmonised with priorities agreed under the EU Strategy against illegal firearms, small and light arms and belonging ammunition and other relevant international and regional documents.
The Strategy and belonging Action Plan were developed by the Coordination Committee for Small Arms and Light Weapons Control, in cooperation with responsible bodies in BIH and international partners, included in implementation of strategic aims in the process of further promotion of security in our country and the region.
The implementation of the Strategy and Action Plan is a continuation and extension of activities on development of overall and effective control system of SALW in BIH.
The Strategy is focused at four strategic aims directed to improvement and facilitation of the relevant legal framework with the EU legislative and other international obligations, as well as a decrease of misuse and improvement of safe SALW management disposed of by the Armed Forces of BIH, and strengthening of regional and international cooperation in the process of boosting control in this area.
CONTINUED EU-BIH DIALOGUE AT SUB-COMMITTEE LEVEL
The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted a piece of information by the Directorate for European Integrations on holding the eighth meeting of the Sub-Committee for Transport, Energy, Environment and Regional Development between the European Union and Bosnia and Herzegovina, to be held on June 19, 2025, as proposed by the European Commission.
BIH Delegation Chair Admir Softić of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations will be available to media for inquiries as to the on-line meeting to discuss an environment policy, regional development and issues related to transport, environment, and energy.
A text discussion document was fully agreed with relevel all-level institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The Council of Ministers of BIH Directorate for European Integrations will, in cooperation with responsible institutions of BIH and the European Commission services take all needed prearrangements for holding of the eighth meeting of the Sub-Committee for Transport, Energy, Environment and Regional Development between the EU and BIH.
The session adopted the Directorate for European Integrations-tabled piece of information on holding of the eighth meeting of the Sub-Committee for Trade, Industry, Customs and Taxation, on April 29, 2025.
Themes of the Brussels meeting between BIH and European Commission delegations will be the following: trade; free movement of goods; industry policy; SMEs; taxation; customs; investment protection, in the context of an exchange of agreements between BIH and EU member countries.
BIH Delegation Chair Brankica Pandurević of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations will be available to media for inquiries as to the meeting, while the Council of Ministers of BIH Directorate for European Integrations will take all needed prearrangements, in cooperation with responsible institutions of BIH and European Commission services, for holding of the meeting.
EXTENDED DEADLINE FOR AVAILABILITY OF EIB LOAN
The Council of Ministers of BIH defined a Proposal Amendment No. 3 of a Finance Contract (Electric Power Distribution in BIH/C), concluded between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the European Investment Bank (EIB) in Sarajevo on January 19, 2014 and in Luxembourg, on June 5, 2014, with Platform for its conclusion. It will send to the BIH Presidency with a proposal for the BIH signatory of the Amendment to be Minister of Finance and Treasury of BIH Srđan Amidžić.
The Proposal Amendment serves to extend a deadline for availability of the EIB loan to Dec. 31, 2027, as requested by the Public Company Power Utility of BIH, via the Federal Ministry of Finance. Under the earlier concluded Contract, Bosnia and Herzegovina, precisely the Power Utility of BIH, was approved EUR 15,000,000 for maintenance, modernisation and extension of the power distribution grid.
PROPOSAL DECISION ON RATIFICATION ADOPTED
The Council of Ministers of BIH defined a Proposal Decision on Ratification of Amendments and Supplements to Statute of United Nations Organisation for Tourism and its Annex – Rules of Financing, to be forwarded to the BIH Presidency for further procedure, by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Presidency of BIH endorsed the Amendments and Supplements to the UN Organisation Statute for Tourism and its Annex - Rules for Financing, last December, and authorised the Minister of Foreign Affairs of BIH to sign a notification on acceptance of the Amendments and Supplements.
BIH HOSTS EU – WESTERN BALKANS MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE FOR FIRST TIME
The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted a piece of information on organisation of 2025 EU-Western Balkans Ministerial Conference in Bosnia and Herzegovina, accepting that Bosnia and Herzegovina hosts for the first time such Ministerial Conference on security and judiciary.
The EU Council and European Commission will be advised on an acceptance of hosting the conference, which is usually held annually, in October,
The session adopted certain conclusions, aiming appointment of organisation committee of the conference and defining the level and way of finances for its holding.
ROUTE FEES
The Council of Ministers of BIH took the Ministry of Communications and Transport-proposed Decision on defining planned revenue amounts for service provision in air navigation (route fees) in airspace of Bosnia and Herzegovina for year 2025, in total amount of KM 93,749,303.
The BIH Air Navigation Service Provision Agency (BHANSA) of BIH should get KM 84,333,910, including Eurocontrol costs in amount of KM 3,641,169, Directorate for Civil Aviation of BIH (BHDCA) KM 2,918,407, and service provider outside Bosnia and Herzegovina – Croatian air navigation control (CCL) KM 6,496,986.
ACTION PLAN ADOPTED OF EU ACCESSION COMMUNICATION STRATEGY
The Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina Action Plan for implementation of 2025 BIH Institutions Communication Strategy on Bosnia and Herzegovina Accession Process to the European Union – from candidate status to membership was adopted, with some corrections made at the session, while the Direction for European Integrations piece of information on development of the Proposal Action Plan was previously adopted.
Total 29 BIH-level institutions were included into implementation of a wider range package of communication activities related directly to priorities and obligations from the European integrations process.
The Action Plan implementation will cost KM 1,371,665, of which KM 725,866 was secured from budgets of the Action Plan implementing institutions, and KM 645,810 will be secured from donors.
This year’s Action Plan features a new approach in activities implementation for the aim of as high quality and effective as possible communications and a slight increase of number of institutions included into its implementation relevant to a year before, when 23 institutions were included.
The session tasked the Directorate for European Integrations to urge institutions, on behalf of the Council of Ministers of BIH, to get more active included into both development of a proposal next action plan and implementation of the current one.
Also adopted was a report on implementation of the Council of Ministers Action Plan for 2024 Bosnia and Herzegovina Institutions Communication Strategy implementation within the process of Bosnia and Herzegovina accession to the European Union – from candidate status to membership, developed by the Directorate for European Integrations.
According to the report, out of 117 planned activities, 23 BIH institutions realised 96 activities (82%), while 21 activities (18%) remained unrealised, mostly due to the lack of finances.
APIK TO REPRESENT BIH N REGIONAL ANTI-CORURPTION INITIATIVE
The Council of Ministers of BIH tasked the Anti-Corruption and Agency (APIK) to represent Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Regional Anti-Corruption Initiative (RAI).
The Anti-Corruption Agency should appoint two representatives – a member and alternate member – of the Regional Anti-Corruption Initiative Steering Board to replace earlier appointed representative from the Ministry of Security of BIH and report it to the RIA Secretariate.
This Sarajevo-based cross-Government initiative gathers nine countries and was established by signing of a Memorandum of Understanding relating to cooperation in fight against corruption through the Regional Anti-Corruption Initiative, signed in 2007, and Protocol on Amendment of the Memorandum of Understanding, signed in 2013.
INCREASE OF TOTAL FOREIGN EXCHANGE OF BIH LAST YEAR
The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations-tabled Analysis of Foreign Exchange of Bosnia and Herzegovina for 2024.
The Analysis suggests that the total goods exchange of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2024 was KM 44.73 billion. The value of exported goods was KM 16.07 billion, and of imported goods was KM 28.65 billion, and the foreign trade deficit was KM 12.58 billion.
The main features of foreign trade exchange last year relevant ot te same time 2023 were an increaseof toal foreign exchange of Bosnia and Herzeovina (0.59%), increase of import (3.19%), decrease of export (3.74%), and decreased coverage of import by export fr 4.04%, and it was 65.10%.
Bosnia and Herzegovina exported mostly isolated wire, cables, electric power, steel and iron constructions, seats and parts of these, and imported mostly petroleum oil, apart of rude oil, passenger cars, medicines and copper wire.
BIH PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION REFORM
The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted the Public Administration Reform Coordinator’s Office-tabled January-June 2024 Semi-Annual Progress Report on Implementation of 2018-2027 Public Administration Reform Strategic Framework Action Plan.
According to the Report, implemented were 17.47% activities under the Action plan, which is 1.68% more relevant to the end 2023.
The semi-annual measuring of progress achieved in implementation of the Public Administration reform Action Plan showed that partially implemented were 5.58% activities, and a percentage of non-implemented activities was decreased, and it is now 76.95%, relevant to 80.30% at the same time last year.
Viewing the progress by reform pillars in the first half of 2024, it is visible that in the public finance management 100% activities were implemented, which is the best result relative to other reform aeras that include the following: policy development and coordination; civil service and human resources management; accountability; better and higher quality service provision; and digitalisation of service provision.
The session tasked responsible institutions of the Council of Ministers of BIH to act under general and specific recommendations in view of public administration reform, provided in the Report for the Action Plan listed reform areas. The Governments of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republika Srpska and Brčko District of BIH are tasked to assign all-level responsible institutions to act as per recommendations from the Action Plan listed areas for public administration reform.
INCREASED NUMBER OF CHILDREN IN PRE-SCHOOL INSTITITIONS IN BIH
The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted a piece of information, in a new text, by the Ministry of Civil Affairs, on statistic indices in education in Bosnia and Herzegovina for 2024, which covers all four education levels (pre-school, elementary, secondary and high) and reflects the state composition and legally defined relevant competences.
According to the piece of information, 49,902 children were beneficiaries of pre-school institutions in 2023/2024, which is more than 16,000 children in a five-year term, starting from the academic 2019/2020, when the number was 30.597. Also registered were 493 pre-school institutions in BIH in academic year 2023/2024, relative to 390 in 2019/20220.
In Bosnia and Herzegovina during 202372024 academic year there were 1,667 elementary schools in operation, including 47 schools for children with special needs. The number of elementary schools was decreased for 72, relative to academic year 2019/2020, while one more school for needy children was opened in academic year 2023-2024. Elementary schools enrolled 255.512 pupils in 2023-2024, while 273.155 pupils were enrolled in the academic 2019-2020.
Total 107.740 students were enrolled in 313 secondary schools in academic 2023/2024, which is about 5.000 less than in academic 2019/2020, when 112.796 students were enrolled in 315 schools. Over the past year, a trend continued of enrolling less students to gymnasiums, simultaneously with a slight increase of number of students enrolled in technical and art schools.
The high education institutions enrolled 75,016 students in academic year 2023/2024, of which more than a half were female students (45.271), relative to the enrolled 82,909 students in 2019/2020 academic year. In 2023, only 13,163 students graduated in BIH, among whom 8,286 female students.
A share of individuals aged 18-24 who abandoned schooling earlier was 4.2% in 2023, as decreased relative to 2020.
PIECE OF INFORMATION ON APPLICATION OF TARIFF QUOTAS
The Council of Ministers adopted a piece of information by the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations on application of tariff quotas of the Customs Tariffs for import for Jan.1 – Dec 31, 2024.
According to the piece of information, a free-of-charge import was enabled for 85 tariff marks, and for 51% of them the import remained at almost the same level as the year before, while import increased for 6% open tariff quotas, and decreased for 12 % of them.
A very high utilisation, above 90%, was spotted for 13% tariff marks that may be considered a raw material, i.e. raw material for the meat processing sector, such as live pigs of less than 50 kg. Also, quantities quotas for some dairy products and fresh fish were also used in a very high percentage.
With certain goods there was a considerable fall of import, for example certain kinds of fresh vegetables and fruits, like white and red cabbage, grapes and fresh sour cherry, as well as alive lambs, dry meat and cigarettes. For 25% open tariff quotas the import was zero, meaning there were no interested importers for import of goods under 21 tariff marks.
The quotas opened in accordance with the Stabilisation ad Accession Agreement, EFTA Agreement and corresponding Protocols to the SAA, fully repeat at annual level, no matter of utilisation and they serve as a support to economy of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
CONTROL OF LAW IMPLEMENTATION ON CONTROL OF ARMS AND MILITARY EQUIPMENT MOVEMENT LAST YEAR
The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted a Report by the Ministry of Security on implementation of the Law on Control of Arms and Military Equipment Movement in 2024.
According to the Report, total 974 decisions were issued last year approving movement of arms and military equipment, which is for 8.22% more than in 2023, where 900 decisions were issued. Out of that number, 395 decisions were for import and 579 for export.
Total 49 economic entities submitted requests for movement of arms and military equipment in 2024.
REPORT ADOPTED ON COMITTTED SERIOUS OFFENCES IN BIH LAST YEAR
The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted the Ministry of Justice-tabled Report from the Central Data Base on serious criminal offences committed in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2024.
In time between 2022 and 2024, the Central Data Base kept record of total 1,194 verdicts, for which 457 verdicts were taken in 2024, reads the Report.
The verdicts covered serious offences as to money laundry, terrorism and financing of terrorism, misuse of narcotics, human trafficking, hijacking, as well as child prostitution, prostitution and forgery.
Most verdicts by courts in BIH (402) in 2024, as well as in the previous three-year time, referred to the offence of “unauthorised production and trading with narcotics” and “owing and enabling use of narcotics”.
ACTIVITIES STARTED FPR BIH PARTICIAPTION AT SPECIALISED EXHIITION EXPO 2027
The Council of Ministers of BIH accepted an invitation to participation of Bosnia and Herzegovina at a Specialised Exhibition Expo 2027 – Belgrade, Republic of Serbia, to be held in time between May 15 to August 15, 2027.
The session assigned further activities to the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of BIH towards proposing to the Council of Ministers of BIH a decision on setting-up an organisation committee of BIH for preparation of participation at this specialised exhibition, as well as proposing the participation programme and needed financial resources and ways of their provision, which will be planned by the Ministry of Finance and Treasury of BIH in the Budget of BIH Institutions for 2026 and 2027.
TO PUBLISH PUBLIC AD
The Council of Ministers of BIH tasked the Ministry of Communications and Transport to publish a public ad for selection and appointment of two Deputies Director General in the Air Navigation Sector (ANAD) and Sector for Flight Safety and Air Navigation Safety (FSSD) with the Directorate for Civil Aviation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in accordance with the Law on Ministerial Appointments, Appointments of Council of Ministers and Other Appointments of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
AGREEMENT TO APPOINTMENTS
The Council of Ministers of BIH granted its consent, upon a proposal by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for appointment of a Defence Attaché of the Republic of Indonesia in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Colonel Budi Alamsyah was appointed to the post.
Also, a consent was granted to appointment to a Defence, Military, Marine and Aviation Issues Attaché with the Embassy of the Kingdom of Sweeden In Sarajevo, with his seat in Athens, Ricardi Jose Valdes Fernandez was appointed to the post.
BIH CITIZENSHIP IN AREA OF SPORTS
The Council of Ministers of Bih took a decision on acceptance to citizenship of Bosnia and Herzegovina of Theodor Krunić, citizen of the Republic of Austria, as proposed by the Bicycling Federation of BIH.
It is about a 15-year boy taking part in sport bicycling in downhill area, which is one among mountain biking styles. (end)
Photo/video:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/vijeceministara/albums/72177720324946399/