SARAJEVO – The Council of Minister of BiH adopted its Work Programme for year 2017, with some corrections made at the session, which Programme contains about 100 development-investment projects and is focused to the EU accession, fulfilment of requirements under the “Partnership for Peace” and further promotion of regional and international cooperation.
The Council of Ministers Work Programme contains an Action Plan with designated holders of activities and implementation deadlines; overview of over 40 laws and about 650 other acts (resolutions, reports, information, analyses, strategies, international contracts and other documents) to be on the Council of Ministers’ agenda in 29017, in addition to development-investment projects/programmes.
The annual programme is based on a Mid-Term Work Programme of the Council of Ministers of BiH, which relies the Bosnia and Herzegovina development vision on five general development principles (integrated growth, smart growth, sustainable growth, inclusive growth, growth-oriented governance), thereby linking the Council of Ministers of BIH operations with the “Europa 2020” and “SEE 2020” Strategies.
The Council of Ministers’ 2017 agenda will include the justice sector development laws, which stem from the Structural Dialogue of BIH with the EU and obligations under the Stabilisation and Accession Agreement, then several laws from the area of communications, new laws on food and veterinary service, on foreign affairs, on rights of torture victims in BIH, n Foreigners’ Affairs Service, on drugs and medical appliances, on civil service and other laws, aiming their harmonisation with the EU legislation.
The adoption of several strategies was planned, namely, strategy for fight against organised crime in Bosnia and Herzegovina, for supervision over narcotics, on BIH health system reform, as well as adoption of a mid-term strategy of BIH debt management and promotion of a legal framework for cooperation with Diaspora by way of adoption of a policy and strategy on cooperation with BIH emigration.
An important work segment will be to strengthen cooperation and partnership at regional and international levels, to be followed by conclusion of a series of bilateral agreements, as well as intensification of joint projects with NGOs in BiH.
Negotiations for accession of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) will continue in 2017.iv
To create effective labour market in BiH
The Council of Ministers of BiH adopted Information of the Directorate for European Integrations, with some corrections made at the session, on activities implemented concerning planning and programming of assistance though sector budget support within IPA 2017 – Employment Sector.
These activities on drafting of an Action Document – Sector Reform Contract for Employment, Education and Welfare policy for sector budget support within IPA 2017, which aims to facilitate the creation of an effective labour market in BIH. The concrete aims include the increase of employment of youth, disabled persons and long-term unemployed persons, increase of women participation in employment and at labour market, improvement of quality and effectiveness of institutions and services responsible for labour market, and increase of employability though adjustment of education system to labour market demands, with a special focus further development and implementation of the Qualification Framework of BIH.
BiH participates in six IPA II 2014-20020 Territorial Cooperation Programmes
The Council of Ministers of BiH adopted Information on progress in implementation of the IPA I and IPA II cross-border/territorial cooperation programmes for 2016, prepared by the Directorate for European Cooperation.
According to Information, Bosnia and Herzegovina takes part in six programmes within the second IPA component 2007-2013, out of which three bilateral with the neighbouring countries: Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia, IPA Adriatic Cross-Border Cooperation Programme, and SEE and MED, the two transnational programmes. The aims, priorities and measures of each of the programmes were defined in the relevant programme documents, approved by the European Commission in 2007.
Within IPA II 2014-2020, BIH participated in six territorial cooperation programmes. These are two bilateral programmes (BIH and Montenegro and BIH and Serbia), one trilateral cross-border cooperation programmes (Croatia-BIH-Montenegro) and three transnational programmes (Danube, Adriatic-Ionian and Mediterranean Programmes). The aims, priorities and measures of each of the programmes were defined in the relevant programme documents, approved by the European Commission in the end 2014 and in 2015.
All these programmes are being implemented by way of periodically issued public calls for submission of project proposals.