BOSNIA TO MEET EU CONDITIONS BY 2012

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (October 7,2008) - According to the Action Plan adopted yesterday, the Bosnian government plans to meet all the European Partnership conditions by 2012, Bosnia's Prime Minister Nikola Spiric has confirmed.

As he said, some of EU conditions have already been met, some are in the process of being fulfilled, while the others will be satisfied by no later than 2012.

The European Partnership is a document that the European Commission issued in November 2008, containing a list of priorities that Bosnia needs to meet as part of its EU association process.
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BOSNIAN GOVERNMENT ORGANIZES WORKSHOP ON PROTECTION OF BOSNIAN FORESTS

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (October 7,2008) - A workshop taking place at the Bosnian National Park "Sutjeska" from October 6 to 8 will introduce a project for the protection of Bosnian forests and mountain areas, worth 6 million USD.

The project aims at boosting the institutional capacity for sustainable management of seven protected areas throughout Bosnia in the next four years.

The workshop is organized by the Bosnian Ministry for Environmental Protection. Representatives of the Bosnian state and regional governments and protected areas are the participants.

The project for the protection of forest and mountain areas in Bosnia is supported by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the World Bank with USD 3.4 million, while Bosnia will provide USD 2.5 million
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BOSNIAN COUNCIL OF MINISTRES TO DISCUSS ACTION PLAN FOR EUROPEAN PARTNERSHIP

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (October 6,2008) - Action plan for realization of the priorities from European partnership has been prepared and this document will be considered at the session of the Bosnian Council of Ministers today, the Director of the Bosnian Directorate for European Integrations Osman Topcagic said.

Besides this document, which is the first out of 30 priorities of the European Commission, out of which fulfilment the assessment of Bosnia's progress depends, the Bosnian government should also consider the Report on what was accomplished from June 15th till today.

"This will be our proposal that we’re sending to Brussels to be included in the Annual report on progress," Topcagic said.

He announced that the Bosnian Council of Ministers should, today, form the temporary board for monitoring the implementation of the Stabilisation and Association Agreemnet between Bosnia and the European Union.

The meeting of this board, when the European Commission will give their assessment on the degree of the implementation of the agreement so far, is scheduled for October 7th.
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BOSNIAN GOVERNMENT MINISTERS TO GET PAY RAISE OF 108 PER CENT THIS MONTH

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (July 4,2008) - The new law regulating salaries in the Bosnian government institutions has come into force, and higher salaries are expected from this month.

The new salary formula is especially favourable for members of the Bosnian State Presidency, government ministers, cabinet heads and assistants.

The salary of ministers has thus been increased by 108 per cent, while their assistants are to get 73.61 per cent more every month.
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BOSNIAN GOVERNMENT FISCAL SURPLUS WAS 278 MILLION BOSNIAN MARKS IN 2007

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (July 4,2008) - The Bosnian Central Bank released yesterday the regular annual report about the Bosnian government finances. The consolidated fiscal surplus in 2007 was 278 million Bosnian Marks, which is 1.3 per cent of the GDP.

Although 2007 saw a worsening financial situation for Bosnia, because the net surplus was almost half the 2006 surplus, current revenue was higher than current spending and public investments.

Spending was growing at the annual rate of 17 per cent, while consolidated revenues increased by 15 per cent in 2007, and totalled 9.83 billion Bosnian Marks. Public investments were significantly up (by 53 per cent), and reached 746 million Bosnian Marks.
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BOSNIAN PARLIAMENT ADOPTS POLICE REFORM LAWS

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (February 27,2008) – The Bosnian Parliament's House of Peoples of has adopted a set of laws regulating the reform of the Bosnian police, in the first reading. The laws legislating seven new police bodies had previously been adopted by the House of Representatives.

The members of the Bosnian Parliament that voted against it argued it the laws are not legal, or in conformity with the three European principles of police reform.

The members of the Bosnian Parliament voting in favour said they are a condition for signing the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with the European Union. Also, the upper house adopted the budget for the Bosnian government institutions in 2008, worth 1,186 billion Bosnian Marks.

Furthermore, the newly adopted passport law enables the introduction of biometric passports in Bosnia. The Kyoto Protocol was also adopted.
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BOSNIAN PARLIAMENT ADOPTS STATE BUDGET FOR 2008 AND BILL ON POLICE REFORM

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (February 22,2008) – The Bosnian Parliament's House of Representatives adopted the Bill on the Bosnian State Budget for 2008 and, according to which this year’s budget is 1.186.357.560 Bosnian Marks. 29 delegates voted in favour of the Bill over 8. Three delegates were in abstention.Also, delegates accepted the conclusion that the Bosnian government should develop a plan of activities in order to decrease the expenses of rents for the Bosnian state institutions.

After a long discussion, delegates supported the principles of law on independent and supervisory bodies of police structures in Bosnia with 22 votes in favour over 17 and one in abstention, as well as the coordination of police bodies principles and agencies for police structures in Bosnia.

The remaining items of the agenda are to be discussed at a session which will be held in early March.
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