Sjednice
Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina Holds Its 49th Session
04/20/2022
The Council of Ministers of BIH, upon a proposal of the Ministry of Security, took unanimously four decisions to facilitate entry and stay of citizens of Ukrajine in Bosnia and Herzegovina, on the grounds of humanitarian reasons, caused by security situation in their country.
The decisions are about enabling the entry to Bosnia and Herzegovina under relaxed conditions, as well as approval of temporary stay based un humanitarian reasons to citizens of Ukraine for six months period of time, provided that the stay may be extended the same way it was approved initially.
The facilitated entry was enabled to the Ukrainians if they present either valid or expanded personal documents, such as passport, identity cards, maritime card or child passport. For children up to 18 years of age, it is necessary to present a birth certificate.
A procedure for approving the temporary stay to the Ukrainian citizens will be implemented by the Foreigners’ Affairs Service, upon a personal submission by an applicant, having presented a copy of personal documents and required proofs referred in the Decision on approving temporary stay based on humanitarian reasons for citizens of Ukraine.
Under the decisions package, there is a decision supplementing decision on additional conditions for foreigners’ entry to Bosnia and Herzegovina, under which citizens of Ukraine, leaving their homeland for security reasons, are freed from obligation to present a negative PCR test on Covid-19 or proof of their recovery from the disease or vaccination.
A decision on a supplement tariff of administrative tax provides for a relief from administrative taxes in certain procedures for foreigners who were approved temporary stay in Bosnia and Herzegovina based on humanitarian reasons, under a decision of the Council of Ministers.
Specifically, it is either for registering with the Foreigners’ Affairs Service or with police, by a foreigner or his host, or extension of temporary stay, and issuance of foreigner’s labour registration, in accordance to the Law on Foreigners.
BIH AND CROATIA IN JOINT BRIDGE RECONSTRUCTION
The session defined a Proposal Platform and appointed a negotiating team for conclusion of an Agreement between the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Government of the Republic of Croatia on Novi Grad (Bosnia and Herzegovina) - Dvor (Croatia) Bridge reconstruction on M4 (BIH/DC(RC)).
The Agreement defines a joint investment to the Novi Grad – Dvor bridge reconstruction, preliminary estimated at EUR 1 million, to be borne by BIH and Croaia in equal shares.
The project implementation will enable smooth and continuous transport of passengers and goods, with a return to a full function of the border-crossing for international goods transport.
BIH will provide funds for the project implementation based on a decision on reallocations of resources collected from permits for use of radiofrequency spectrum for mobile access systems, which decision regulates that 70% of collected funds will be used for transport development in BIH.
The Proposal Platform will be provided to the BIH Presidency, and the Minister of Communications and Transport will be the BIH signatory thereof.
NO CONSENT
The Council of Ministers of BIH failed to reach agreement, in the second round of voting, on a temporary ban of expert of certain forest wood assortments.
ADOPTED ROMA SOCIAL INCLUSION ACTION PLAN
The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted Bosnia and Herzegovina 2021-2015 Action Plan for Social Inclusion of Roma Men and Women, and tasked the Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees to continue setting funds aside for the Plan implementation.
It is a framework operative document for all individuals and institutions directly involved in the Action Plan implementation, aiming the improvement of social status and inclusion of Roma men and women in BIH.
Measures and activities within the Plan target reduction of Roma discrimination and stopping “anti-gypism”, improved employability and employment, improved housing conditions, as well as health care accessibility and quality, together with education coverage by way of effective implementation of earlier adopted Roma Education Framework Plan.
The implementation of this five-year Plan will require multi-source finances, including those of local communities and from donors, in order to secure more than KM 93 million, mostly for the improvement of housing conditions of the Roam population, concretely about KM 73 million.
The funds intended for the Action Plan implementation will be allocated in accordance with framework shares (Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina 62.66%, Republika Srpska 31.34, and the Brčko District of BIH 6%).
The Action Plan implementation will be monitored by the Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees of BIH and Roma Committee under the Council of Ministers of BIH.
ROMA COMMITTEE MEMBERS APPOINTED
The Council of Ministers of BIH took the Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees-proposed decision to appoint members of the Roma Committee with the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina for a four-year term. It is the fifth convocation of the Roma Committee, and the fourth convocation’s term expired this March.
The Committee, comprised of 22 members and 11 alternate members include representatives from the Ministries of Human Rights and Refugees, Finance and Treasury, Civil Affairs, Security, and Justice, together with representatives from the Directorate for European Integrations, Agencies for Labour and Employment and Gender Equality, as well as from Entity Governments the Brčko District of BIH Government. The half of the Committee members, 11 of them, are Roma from different cantons and regions and from Roma Associations.
The passing of this Decision means the fulfilment of aims set in the Council of Europe Framework Convention on National Minorities Protection, ratified by BIH.
JOINT BIH-UN STEERING BOARD FOR COOPERATION FRAMEWORK IMPLEMENTATION
The Council of Ministers of BIH took the Ministry of Foreign Affairs-proposed decision to set-up a Joint Steering Board between United Nations and Bosnia and Herzegovina for implementation of the “Cooperation Framework between United Nations and Bosnia and Herzegovina 2021-2025”.
Representatives of the Council of Ministers of BIH, Republika Srpska and Federation of BIH Governments, Brčko District of BIH Mayor, and UN representatives in BIH were appointed into the Joint Steering Board to be chaired over by Minister of Finance and Treasury of BIH Vjekoslav Bevenda, while UN Resident Coordinator in BHI Ingrid Mc-Donald was appointed Co-Chair.
The Joint Steering Board will secure a comprehensive implementation of the Cooperation Framework, in line with priorities in implementation of sustainable development aims and other priorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
BIH LIAISON OFFICER WITH EUROPOL
The Council of Ministers of BIH made a conclusion to send a liaison officer of Bosnia and Herzegovina with EUROPOL to Den Hag, as proposed by the Ministry of Security, for the aim of implementation of an Agreement on Operative and Strategic cooperation between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the European Police Office.
Thereby, police officer from the Ministry of Interior of Republika Srpska Aleksandar Stjepanović will be sent as a liaison officer of Bosnia and Herzegovina with EUROPOL to a four-year term.
CoM SUPPORTS FINANCIALLY LEGAL TEAM FOR TRGOVISKA GORA
The Council of Ministers of BIH took a decision to approve KM 10,000 from current reserves, upon a proposal of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations, in order to finance costs of a Legal Team, preparing a movement map of BIH Institutions concerning the issue of storing radioactive waste and depleted nuclear fuel at the Trgovska Gora site. (end)