Public presentation of the project titled “Sustainable industrial development” was held in the building of BiH Parliamentary Assembly in Sarajevo. The project is a part of Support of the EU to implementation of Directive on Integrated Prevention and Pollution Control (IPPC).
The project is financed by the EU with 1.5 million Euro through EU IPA 2007 programme, whose basic goal is to reduce differences between current situation in areas where reforms are being implemented and expected progress in line with the European Partnership and Stabilisation and Association Process.
Johann Hesse, Head of Section for Economic Reforms, Trade and Natural Resources of EU Delegation to BiH said that significant progress was made when issuing of environmental licences is concerned. He also added that certain stagnation in activities was noticed in the past year. According to Hesse, the EU is expecting the following results from the project: “A directive specific implementation plan, secondary legislation for implementation, standard formats for applying for licences and other relevant documents, prepare manuals on best available techniques and finally create a register of polluters and polluters emissions“.
The two year project of technical assistance will offer support to authorities to improve the integrated process for issuing of environmental licences in accordance with set EU standards on industrial emissions.
„Our goal is to transfer good practice from Europe to BiH. Numerous international and domestic experts are helping us achieve that. Working groups that we have formed will make drafts and formats for licences. We expect to see tangible results, to see best examples for licences and to establish the system of data reporting”, explains Kurt Terpgaard-Jensen, Team Leader of project “Sustainable industrial development”.
Project beneficiaries are BiH Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations, relevant authorities in Republika Srpska (RS), Federation of BiH (FBiH), Brcko District as well as competent institutions that manage environment and waters and inspection services in RS and FBiH.
Approximately 70 % of companies in BiH do not possess the environmental licence for their operations and that licence is essential for export into the EU or to acquire a loan in some banks in BiH.
Tomislav Lukic, advisor in FBiH Ministry of Environment and Tourism stated that close to 400 licences were issued in FBiH thus far and that the deadline for applying has been extended to January 1st 2010 due to, among other things, lack of interest and information with certain companies.
Participants of today’s presentation stressed that the significance of further reforms in the sector of environmental protection is crucial in the process of European integrations, is noted in the press of the European Delegation.