Dnevni avaz: The European Union has clear intentions to contribute more money through the European banks in different projects in BiH, by including the big infrastructures, has been confirmed yesterday in conversation for "Dnevni avaz" by Dimitris Kourkoulas, the chief of the European Commission Delegation (EC) in BiH.
Liberation from the VAT
Kourkoulas has welcomed the decision of the Fiscal Council to support the liberation of the projects of assistance of the EU from paying the VAT, by saying how he now expects a decision to be brought by the Management Board of the Indirect Taxation Authority of BiH as well.
Non-returnable assistance
– Yes, that is our wish and goal. We know that the European Bank for Renovation and Development (EBRD) and the European Investment Bank (EIB) have considerably big funds at disposal for BiH and the infrastructural projects – says Kourkoulas.
Priorities of the European Partnership
Kourkoulas has also answered to Dodik’s law suits that the European Commission looks for “politically motivated projects in which forming the institutions which are not agreed, nor predicted by the Constitution”.
– We are talking about the priorities of the European Partnership, what BiH needs to do if it wants into the European Union. Let’s say, in the case of the banking supervision, we consider that it is needed to have a state agency. But, this does not mean that some other questions cannot be regulated on the level of closer cooperation of the entities. If it wants to progress towards the EU, that must be done. We are open for conversations if Dodik thinks he has a better solution – says Kourkoulas.
There should be added, he says, the non-returnable assistance of the European Commission as well, by which will by the end of 2011 in BiH be more than 300 million Euros through the funds for the Pre-Accession Assistance.
– What we from the Commission intend to do is to ensure for BiH enough funds so the preparation and feasibility studies of the projects can be done, for which also more money is needed. On the basis of that, the country could withdraw the big sums of money through the beneficial credits for the capital projects – says Kourkoulas.
He has confirmed that the creation of the strategy of future international engagement in BiH is in the process.
– It is being intensively talked about this and the European Commission is actively included in it. That strategy will bring the solution of question who will be a key player in BiH, would it be the OHR or the Special Representative of the European Union, and other questions as well. The Council of the EU for Foreign and General Affairs will also be discussing about it in November – says Kourkoulas.
Answer to Dodik
The chief of the Mission of the European Commission has paid the attention to the statements of the Prime Minister of the RS, Milorad Dodik, in which after the meeting on the problems in implementation of the project of financial assistance, he has criticized the Commission “because of forming five regions and ignoring the constitutional regime of BiH”.
– I know his attitudes. I have talked to him. But, that division does not have anything to do with the Constitutional structure of BiH. By this, we do not want to violate the Constitution and that is not any revision of decision, but only a division of country on five regions on the basis of economic criteria for realization of our projects. That is not any kind of standard for the Constitutional reform – says Kourkoulas.
By answering the statement of Dodik, that “those projects cannot be realized”, he says:
– We will see if he will be able to stop this. That has its purpose. And Dodik, of course, can say what he thinks.