SARAJEVO – The Council of Ministers of BiH took note of a Report of the Directorate for European Integrations on undertaken and remaining activities concerning preparation of answers to the Questionnaire of the European Commission, to be submitted to the BiH Presidency.
The Report indicates that as at January 31, the major part of contribution of the institutions responsible to provide answers to the EC Questionnaire was received, except for answers from Republika Srpska, which have not been provided.
“The Directorate currently analyse the quality of the answers provided, and in consultations with relevant institutions it works of the refinement and harmonisation of the contribution provided”, says the Report of the Direction, and adds that work groups after being formed, in accordance with a Decision on System of Coordination of the European Integrations of BiH, will start technical finalisation of all materials connected to the EC Questionnaire.
Civil society organisations have provided 141 answers, and the public offered 395 answers to 35 questions form the EC Questionnaire, which will be translated together with answers from institutions and submitted together to the European Commission.
The terminal deadline for provision of answers to the European Commission to 3,242 Questions from the Questionnaire handed over to Bosnia and Herzegovina on December 8, 2016 is the end May of this year.
To reach agreement on IPARD model to favour farmers
The Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations will continue its activities, in cooperation with competent Entity, cantonal and Brčko District of BiH bodies, aimed at achieving an agreement concerning an IPARD operative structure model, as a prerequisite for using of pre-accession funds of the European Union intended for agriculture and rural development in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In parallel with establishing such structure, BiH needs to have prepared basic strategic documents, namely the Strategic Rural Development Plan for BiH and IPAD Programme. Possibilities of use of the EU funds for agriculture and rural development would be especially important for Bosnia and Herzegovina, since they aim strengthening of competitiveness of agriculture of the beneficiary country, reaching EU standards, as well as preparation and strengthening of institutional capacities for implementation of policies, mandatory upon attaining the EU candidate state status.
Information on activities on establishment of the IPARD operative structure, adopted today by the Council of Ministers of BiH, contains a chronologic review of activities for the establishment of the IPARD operative structure, which, despite an intensive years-long work, has not been agreed yet.
BiH incresases its participation in IBRD
The Council of Ministers of BiH also took a decision, proposed by the Ministry of Finance and Treasury, on an increase of number of votes and participation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the international Bank for Reconstruction and Development and International Financial Corporation and on increase of capital capacity.
So, in the process of the selective capital increase, BiH got 104 new shares of total value of USD 12,416,030.00, of which BiH will pay six per cent or USD 752,762.40 by the beginning of March. The funds were planned in the BIH Institutions Budget for 2017.