Nezavisne novine: SARAJEVO – Pre-accession assistance of the EU for this year, amounting around 74 million Euros, the authorities of BiH intend to spend mostly on strengthening of judiciary , system of public health, development of tourism and agriculture, confirmed Osman Topčagić, director of the Directorate for European Integrations of BiH.
“The Council of Ministers of BiH last week adopted the list of project ideas with which we applied for usage of the assets from the Pre-Accession Assistance Programme of the EU (IPA) for 2008. Projects follow realization of the priorities from the European Partnership and from implementation of the Stabilization and Association Agreement between BiH and the EU”, said Topčagić.
BiH, among other things, intends to spend three million Euros on development of institutional capacities of the Court of BiH, so processing of war crimes could be quickened. Then, four million Euros is reserved for building of the state prison, two million for support to the reform of the police, around two million for mine clearance…
“For strengthening of the system of public health care we planned three million Euros. Same amount is reserved for support to the system of education, while four million we will spend on strengthening tourist economy. Also, we plan to spend four million Euros for the system of integrated management of the border”, clarifies Topčagić.
On the list of projects submitted to the European Commission in Brussels is also the help to the agriculture and capacity strengthening in the area of food safety, for which around four million Euros will be spent. For creation of information system of land books there will be provided three million Euros, and for strengthening of the CIPS two million Euros.
“Domestic authorities have chosen project ideas. List of these projects have been last week submitted to the EC, and the IPA Committee in September will discuss on the submitted projects, after which there will be signing of the agreement and setting up of realization”, Topčagić pointed out.
This year BiH through IPA will receive 74 million Euros. The biggest part, around 70 million, is related to transition and institutional development. This component does not include projects last week submitted to the Brussels.