Sjednice
Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina Holds Its 20th Session
08/23/2023
The Council of Ministers of BIH defined a Proposal Law on Foreigners, with ‘EI’ mark – which confirms adjustment with migration-related regulations of the EU - and will pass it to the Parliamentarian Assembly of BIH for adoption under urgent procedure.
This way, four European Union Directives, taken between 2016 and 2021, will be transposed in the process of continuous harmonisation of BIH legislation with the EU acquis; this is after BIH enacted the Law on Foreigners in 2015, then being under adjustment with 12 migrations-related regulations.
The Supplements to the Law should facilitate stay by digital nomads in BIH, and the Council of Ministers intention is to extend they stay additionally, for which a possibility of amendments taking is in place.
The Amendments and Supplements to the Law on harmonisation of BIH legislation with EU Directives refer, among other thigs, to visa issuance, permanent residence, temporary residence of foreigners in BIH based on family reunion, education, scientific research, participation in exchange programmes or education project, expert practice, volunteering, high qualified staff employment, and work based on a blue card and for humanitarian reasons. The Amendments and Supplements to the Law on Foreigners, append certain provisions so as to facilitate application thereof and remove uncertainties.
PROPOSAL LAWS ON COURTS OF BIH AND VINE MARKET ORGANISATION
The Council of Ministers of BIH did not reflect on a Proposal Law on Courts of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Proposal Law on Vine Market in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the adoption of which has been agreed to at the political level.
Since certain technical objections come out before the session, the Council of Ministers of BIH should come out about them today or tomorrow, so that by the end of this week the Proposal Laws might be sent to the Parliamentarian Assembly of BIH.
ACTION PLAN FOR PREVENTION AND FIGHT AGAISNT TERRORISMA ADOPTED
The Council of Ministers of BIH took a decision to adopt an Action Plan for implementation of earlier adopted 2021-2026 Strategy of Bosnia and Herzegovina for Prevention and Fight against Terrorism.
The Ministry of Security should take activities to set-up a coordination body to monitor the Action Plan implementation.
The Action Plan will be implemented at all levels of authority, in accordance with constitutional competences of BIH, Federation of BIH, Republika Srpska and Brčko District institutions.
The Plan contains activities at establishing an effective, coherent and sustainable mechanism for prevention of terrorism, violent extremism and radicalisation, leading to terrorism and hatred-incited criminal acts, and for the aim of development of resilient society to these challenges.
KM TWO MILLION TO FUND FOR RETURN
The Council of Ministers of BIH took a decision on redistribution of KM two million from the Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees budget to the BIH Fund for Return.
It is about a redistribution of funds from the “Funding of Rights Implementation under Annex VII of the Dayton Peace Agreement” grant, funds of which were intended for implementation of the Committee for Refugees and Displaced Persons of BIH-approved projects.
The Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees of BIH, Federal Ministry for Displaced Persons and Refugees, Republic Secretariat for Displaced Persons and Migrations of Republika Srpska, Government of the Brčko District of BIH and BIH Fund for Return have signed an agreement on pooling and use funds for implementation of Dayton Accords Annex VII implementation in year 2023.
SECOND ROUND OF VOTE
The Council of Ministers will come out in the second round of vote on a Proposal Decision on temporary ban of wood assortments export, which prolongs ban on timber export from BIH, as no consensus was reached abut its adoption in the first round of vote.
CONTROL OF PESTICIDES RESIDUE IN AND ON FOOD OF AMINAL AND HERBAL ORIGIN
The Council of Ministers of adopted a report on implemented Programme of Pesticides Residues Control in Herbal and Animal Origin Food in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2022, implemented by the BIH Food Safety Agency, in cooperation with competent State, Entity and the Brčko District of BIH bodies.
Within the control (motoring) of pesticide residues programme on herbal and animal origin food in 2022, sample taking of 16 different products was made. It is about apples, strawberries, peaches, grape vide, garden lettuce, head cabbage, tomato, spinach, out grain, barley grain, cow milk, pork fat and food for infants and young children, in addition to infant formula and follow-on formula and processed food for children based on cereal, and sample taking was made also for three national products (pear, plum and mandarin).
Total 184 samples were taken, namely: 72 samples of fruits, 45 samples of vegetables, 22 samples of cereal, 24 samples of animal-origin food, and 21 samples of other categories of food, where 28,441 laboratory analyses were conducted.
Results proved 99 samples (53.8%) had no pesticide residues at the quantification level, while 80 (43.5) had pesticide residues within/above qualification level, but within maximum residue limit (MRL). Three samples (1.6%) contained pesticide residues level above measured unsafeness, two of the samples were inappropriate, meaning that two out from 184 taken samples or 1.1% were not in, line with the existing BIH regulations.
TO PROTECT BIH INTEREST AFTER GAVI CONTRACT EXPIRY
The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted a report by the Ministry of Civil Affairs on implementation of rights and obligations under a Contract on vaccines procurement with the Global Alliance for Vaccines (GAVI) against Covid -19, concluded between the Council of Ministers of BIH and GAVI, which governs the Covid-19 Vaccines Global Access Mechanism (COVAX), and took corrected conclusions.
The session took appropriate conclusions towards the work of the negotiating team for the aim of protection of financial interests of Bosnia and Herzegovina at negotiations with GAVI on recover of non-spent financial resources, after the Contract expires on September 17, 2023.
According to the report, GAVI has implemented partially its obligations from the Contract concluded with Bosnia and Herzegovina, and under its mediation total 332,640 or 27% vaccines were provided, out of ordered 1,232,000 vaccines against Covid-19.
TREATY ON STATE BORDER BETWEEN BIH AND SERBIA
The Council of Ministers of BIH tasked the State Committee for Border of Bosnia and Herzegovina, to renew, together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a contact with its partners from the Republic of Serbia, and continue cooperation on development of a completed proposal contract on state border between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Serbia.
The Ministry of Civil Affairs will create technical preconditions for related work of the State Committee for Broder of BIH.
Earlier, the Council of Ministers of BIH adopted a report by the Ministry of Civil Affairs on activities made thus far as to demarcation between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Serbia, to be passed to the BIH Presidency.
The last session of the Inter-Governmental Committee for State Border between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Serbia was held on May 10, 2010.
In mid May 2019, a Protocol on defining border tri point among Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and the Republic of Serbia was signed, and it took effect in 2020.
ISTANBUL CONVENTION IMPLEMETNATION
The Council of Ministers of BIH took note of recommendations by the Council of Europe Committee of countries-signatories of the Istanbul Convention on Prevention and Fight against Violence against Women and Family Violence on implementation of the Convention by Bosnia and Herzegovina (Istanbul Convention).
The report on legislative and other measures for implementation of the Convention provisions for Bosnia and Herzegovina and recommendations of the Committee of country-signatories of the Convention as to implementation in BIH will be provided to the BIH Parliamentarian Assembly, pursuant to the Convention Article 70.
The repot recognised moves forward as to the existing legislative and strategic measures implemented by BIH authorities, including activities implemented in the area of prevention and fight against violence against women and family violence.
Also positively were evaluated certain initiatives for ensuring gender equality, as well as supplements to legal framework by introduction of new criminal acts in this area at the Entity level.
According to the Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees, a GREVIO Report includes 19 urgent measures requiring an urgent action by BH authorities, in order to fully comply with the Istanbul Convention provisions.
MAPPING OF RESPONSES TO HATRED SPEECH IN BIH
The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted the Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees-proposal document Mapping Responses to Speech of Hatred in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as a systemic break through against discrimination, intolerance and suppression of speech of hatred in BIH.
Based from proposals contained in the document, the Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees will follow activities to be taken by competent institutions and will prepare, by end December 2023, a comprehensive report on freedom of speech, free access to information and prevention of speech of hatred.
The document was developed by the Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees of BIH, in partnership with the European Union and Council of Europe though the “Promotion of Differences and Equality in Bosnia and Herzegovina” Project. The project is implemented through a joint EU-CoE Programme “Horizontal Facility for Western Balkans and Turkey II”.
The document provides a comprehensive review of situation in BIH, and presents a road map and needed priority measures at systematic level for countering speech of hatred.
The document recognises, beyond the Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees, other competent stakeholders, State, Entity and the Brčko District of BIH institutions, including the institution of Ombudsman of BIH, High Court and Prosecutorial Council, courts, prosecutorial offices, Ministries of Interior and Justice, Communications Regulatory Agency, Council for Press and On-line media, Central Election Committee of BIH, Inter-Religious Council of BIH, institutions for gender equality, NGOs, sports associations, media and international organisations.
IMPLEMENTATION OF LAW ON PUBLIC PROCURMENT
The Council of Ministers took, in the second round of vote, a regulation on funding research, development and improvement of public procurement system in Bosnia and Herzegovina, proposed by the public Procurement Agency, in accordance with the Law on Public Procurement.
The regulation is for the implementation of the Law on Public Procurement, in a part referring to the “Official Gazette of BIH” Company, providing that at least 15% of the Company’s revenue made by publication of public procurement information, should be invested in research and development and improvement of the public procurement system in BIH.
PROCEDURE LAUNCHED FOR APPOINTEMTN OF CRA COUNCIL
The Council of Ministers of BIH defined a Proposal Decision on establishment of an ad hoc Committee under the Parliamentarian Assembly of BIH for implementation of procedure for appointment of the BIH Communications Regulatory Agency Council, to be sent by the Ministry of Communications and Transport to the BIH Parliamentarian Assembly of BIH for adoption.
The proposal membership of the six-member Committee is: Jasnim Imamović, Deputy in the House of Representatives of the BIH Parliamentarian Assembly, Marina Pendreš and Snježana Novaković-Rursać, Delegates in the House of People of the Parliamentarian Assembly of BIH. Three members of the Committee come from the NGO sector, namely, Davorka Topić-Stipić (Croatian Cultural Association “Napredak”), Goran Krivić (NGO “Sanus”, Prijedor), and Aida Daguda (Centre for Civil Society Promotion).
The Committee will publish a public ad, and after required procedure completed, it will define a list of 14 most successful candidates, and provide it to the Council of Ministers of BIH.
Mandate of the incumbent membership of the Communications Regulatory Agency expired by the end of 2017.
APPOINTMENTS
The Council of Minister of BIH appointment Jovan Šilja for Deputy Manager of the General Affairs Service of BIH, as the best ranked candidate after completed job vacancy ad procedure, based on an opinion by the Agency for Civil Service of BIH.
In accordance to the Agency for Civil Service, appointed was Sanja Bazina Crnokić for Deputy Manager of the Foreign Investment Promotion Agency of BIH, as the best ranked candidate at a public job vacancy ad.
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