Ministers Hrnjić and Košarac discuss reform processes and EU alignment

The Federal Minister of Agriculture, Water Management and Forestry Kemal Hrnjić met with State Minister Staša Košarac today in the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of Bosnia and Herzegovina to discuss several issues of importance for the market of Bosnia and Herzegovina, including the reform processes and EU regulation alignment. The meeting was also attended by the representatives of the BiH Veterinary Office and the BiH Plant Health Protection Administration.

The focus was on the EU Integration Program for BiH, compliance with EU legislation, the priorities in the implementation of the Law on the Organization of the Wine Market in BiH and the development of secondary legislation, and the country-level Law on Organic Production. The framework document “Strategic Plan for Rural Development 2023-2027” was also discussed.

Representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of Bosnia and Herzegovina pointed out the importance of EU Chapter 12 legislation such as legislation on food, animal health, official controls, animal welfare and plant health.

The positive developments in carrying out the activities within Chapter 13 related to fisheries and aquaculture were pointed out as well. The adoption of the Rulebook on the Identification of Ungulates in Bosnia and Herzegovina was also initiated.

Ministers Hrnjić and Košarac pointed out the importance of transposing EU Regulation 2017/625 on official controls and the establishment of the country-level IPARD structure, which is one of the conditions for using EU funds intended for agricultural producers and processors.

“We appreciate the good will of the EU and we are making efforts to prepare and meet the legal requirements as soon as possible through dialogue to speed up our EU trajectory. This would significantly improve the status of our agricultural producers and processors, through improvements in other fields such as veterinary medicine and fisheries, organic food and the establishment of the IPARD structure at the level of Bosnia and Herzegovina”, said Minister Hrnjić after the meeting.

The ministers agreed to meet the next week to continue discussing these important issues.