Sjednice
Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina Holds Its 63rd Session
10/30/2024
The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted a piece of information on the EU Solidarity Fund and Coordination Model for preparation of an application for needed assistance for rehabilitation from floods aftermath in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which occurred in early October this year.
The session concluded that the Council of Ministers of BIH will form a team for application preparation, which will also draw an activity plan concerning damage estimation and dynamic of filling the application.
The Ministry of Security of Bosnia and Herzegovina should, together with the Council of Ministers team and in cooperation with responsible institutions of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, defined under the Law on protection and rescue of people and material resources from natural and other catastrophes and Degree on Federal Civil Protection Headquarters, as well as Cantons, Municipalities and towns, prepare an urgent flood-caused damage
The team for preparation of application should communicate with the General Directorate of the European Commission for Regional and Urban Policy as to the application preparation, with inclusion of the Directorate for European Integrations.
The Chairwoman of the Council of Ministers of BIH will submit the application for the EU Solidarity Fund to the European Commission within 12-week time span from the first day of the disaster.
The Solidarity Fund is the European Union instrument that extends financial assistance to EU member countries and those in the process of the EU accession in case of natural catastrophes of large scale.
Bosnia and Herzegovina, as the EU member candidate, has a possibility to use the Fund. For getting the Solidarity Fund resources (grant funds) key prescribed conditions is the level of damage and application for assistance from the state-level authorities.
TO ACCELERATE ACITIVITIES FOR SETTING-UP OFFICE OF BIH CHIEF NEGOTIATOR
Chairwoman of the Council of Ministers of BIH Borjana Krišto urged at today’s session an acceleration of activities of establishment of the EU Chief Negotiator in the process of forming a negotiating structure, for the needs of explanatory meetings on the European Union acquis.
Following the European Council decision from March 2024 on opening of accession negotiations, Bosnia and Herzegovina took-up further steps on fulfilment of defined reforms in order to adopted the negotiating framework, and one among obligations of BH is appointment of the Chief Negotiator.
ACTIVITIES STARTED FOR BIH ACCESS TO EU Easi PROGRAMME
The Council of Ministers of BIH defined a Proposal Platform for conclusion of an Agreement between the European Union, on one side, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, on the other side, on participation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in an Employment and Social Innovations Programme (EaSI) within the European Social Fund plus (ESF+), accompanied with a Proposal Agreement to be provided to the BIH Presidency for further procedure, with a proposal for the Minister of Civil Affairs as the BIH signatory thereof.
The employment and Social Innovations Programme is a financial instrument at the EU level for promotion of quality and sustainable employment, guaranteeing adequate social protection, fight against social exclusion and poverty, together with improvement of work conditions. The Programme relays on three pillars and supports modernisation of employment policy and social policy, labour mobility and access to microfinancing, and social entrepreneurship.
For a full membership in the EaSI Programme, Bosnia and Herzegovina will, other than signing the Agreement, secure sources for payment of a financial contribution, so called “entry ticket”, in amount of EUR 105,000 for 2024, and a part of the funds may be requested from the Instrument of Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA III) in amount of 50% of total financial contribution.
RATIFICATION OF INTENRATIOANL AGREEMTN ON OLIVE OIL
Upon a proposal by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of BIH, a Proposal Decision on ratification of a 2015 International Agreement on Olive Oil and Table Olives will be provided to the BIH Presidency for further procedure. By ratifying the Agreement, Bosnia and Herzegovina will formally accede to the International Olive Council, after it acceded to this Madrid-based global roof institution for olives and olive oil by sending the accession instrument on Feb 21, 2024.
The access to the IOC is an important fact for olive-growers in Bosnia and Herzegovina and for development of sustainable and responsible olive growing with an expert assistance and further European road to the EU, since domestic regulations will be harmonised with the relevant EU acquis, to benefit olive growers and consumers of olive oil.
COUNCIL OF MINISTERS ENDORSES PROJECTS FOR DEVELOPEMNT OF SCIENCE AND INNOVATIONS IN BIH
The Council of Ministers of BIH took the Ministry of Civil Affairs-tabled Decision on criteria for deployment of funds from the current “2024-2026 Grant for Realisation of Bilateral Cooperation Science Projects Based on International Agreements”
Funds for the current grant in amount of KM 100,000 are planned in the Ministry of Civil Affairs Budget, for the purpose of support to projects contributing to development of science and innovations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with increased participation in the European Union projects for science. This will contribute to implementation of strategic documents and international obligations connected to science in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Funds for the current grant for realisation of bilateral agreement projects in science based on international agreements are defined under the Law on Budget of Isntituuons of Bosnia and Herzegovina and BIH International Obligations for each year severally.
A right to candidacy of projects based on this grant is to science-research organisations and institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which, under the law and other relevant legislation, have registered for performing science-research and research-development activities.
The funds will be deployed based on a public ad, in line with criteria defined under the Decision, which will be posted on the Ministry of Civil Affairs of BIH web site.
SUPPORT OT WOMEN DRIVERS OF RESISTIBILITY IN AGRICULRURE AND RURAL AREAS PROJECT
The Council of Ministers of BIH endorsed a Proposal for signing of a “Women Drivers of Resistibility in Agriculture and Rural Development” Project document and will send it to the BIH Presidency with a proposal for the Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations for BIH signatory thereof.
It is about UN FAO document, supporting capacity development, implementation of strategy, policies, guidelines and programmes for improvement of employment opportunities in rural areas, development of entrepreneurship and skills, especially for women and youth, for the aim of decreasing rural poverty in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The total budget of the FAO component is USD 671,000, and the project will be implemented in local communities though BIH, including Entities and the Brčko District of BIH.
COLLECTION OF FINES AGAINST INFRINGEMENT NOTICES
The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted the Ministry of Justice Fourth Report on Non-Paid Fines, having a three-year payment deadline, starting form the day of entering a fine into an electronic data base.
The Indirect Taxation Administration, Broder Police, Ministry of Communications and Transport and Foreigners’ Affairs Service should act according to the Article 42 of the Law on Infringements, which includes acts of forced collection, in order to collect fines ordered by infringement notices before expiry of their effectiveness and their subsequent delete from the evidence.
According to the Report, in time of 2023 analyis, recorded were 2,986 nonpaid infringement notices in amount of KM 2,090,289.43.
In meantime, Institutions informed on the fines collected, decreasing debt; the BIH Border Police decreased the previous debt of KM 180,260.00 to KM 155,940.40, while the Ministry of Communications and Transport made a collection against two out of seven issued infringement notices, decreasing earlier KM 1,650 debt to KM 1,400.
Responsible units of the Indirect Taxation Office of BIH have started a procedure for all infringement notices overdue payment (2,738), a forced collection, and the same was done by the Agency for Personal Data Protection in BIH, which have started two procedures of forced collection for its total debt of KM 1,000 before Municipal Courts in Mostar and Sarajevo.
SOCCER PLAYER KARIĆ GETS BIH CITIZENSHIP
The Council of Ministers of BIH took a Decision on granting citizenship of Bosnia and Herzegovina to Austrian citizen Emir Karić, soccer player and potential member of Bosnia and Herzegovina “A” soccer selection, upon a proposal by the Football Federation of Bsonia and Herzegovina. (end)
Photography: https://www.flickr.com/photos/vijeceministara/albums/72177720321587105/