A meeting bringing together ministers and officials from the state and Entity levels in Bosnia and Herzegovina convened on Monday 14 November in Sarajevo to discuss efficient co-ordination of programming of EU funds and of other EU matters. Read the press release from the Bosnia and Herzegovina Directorate for European Integration here http://www.dei.gov.ba/press/najave_saopstenja/Archive.aspx?template_id=14&pageIndex=1 .

–   In line with the constitutional framework of Bosnia and Herzegovina, consensus between the relevant levels of governments needs to be ensured on EU matters.

–    The role of overall coordinator of EU integration (including the role of NIPAC) should be performed by a member of the Council of Ministers who should be supported by the Directorate of European Integration and who should be available as political counterpart for the EU.

–    The BiH Council of Ministers and the governments of the FBiH, and the RS and Brcko District should engage in a dialogue in order to strengthen the coordination system on EU matters. The Directorate for European Integration (DEI) should as soon as possible convene a meeting for this purpose. The EU is ready to assist the parties in this dialogue to facilitate the European integration process.

In the short-term the European Commission recommends

–    BiH should ensure that government institutions at every level with responsibility on EU integration matters, have EU units/correspondents.

–    Two weeks before official meetings under the framework of the Stabilisation and Association Process between BiH and the EU, BiH should send to the Commission the full list of participants and the agreement on the draft agenda.

With regard to IPA ongoing implementation and programming 2012-2013

–    BiH authorities should examine the legal feasibility of accelerating the signature of Financing Agreements with the European Commission taking into account the possibility to modify the Framework Agreement if necessary.

–    The drafting of project and sector fiches will be guided by working groups which include the relevant SPO, a representative of the DEI as well as representatives of the relevant beneficiary institutions at both State and Entity levels, in line with the division of institutional competencies.

–    The IPA Coordination Board will be consulted in key stages of the programming as well as when needed to address difficulties in the implementation of EU funded projects. Rules of procedures for the IPA Coordination Board should be established.

European Commission issues recommendations for co-ordination of the programming of European Union Assistance funds from the Instrument for Pre-Accession (IPA) and of other EU matters