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SARAJEVO, May 20 (FENA) - The fifth meeting of the Subcommittee on Transport, Energy, Environment and Regional Development between the European Union and Bosnia and Herzegovina was held today via video conference.
At the beginning of the meeting, members of the EU Delegation presented the progress in the implementation of the European Green Plan and announced financial support for the implementation of the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans.
Representatives of the European Commission also emphasized that, in the process of harmonization of BiH legislation with horizontal EU legislation, a coordinated approach is needed throughout the country. The BiH authorities need to speed up the decision-making process on the appointment and function of the National Contact Point for BiH for the implementation of environmental conventions.
The two sides exchanged information on the activities of all levels of government on the development of a nationwide Environmental Strategy of BiH and the updating of the Strategy for Adaptation to Climate Change and Low-Emission Development.
It was stressed that BiH must focus on phasing out the use of coal in energy production in order to continue with decarbonization and the green transition.
The European Commission noted that limited progress had been made in the area of regional development and reiterated the need to develop a Regional Development Strategy for the whole country, and to strengthen administrative capacities in terms of programming, implementation and evaluation of EU funds.
It was also emphasized that in the implementation of future regional development strategies, regions will have to rely on their own capacities to plan, identify, prepare and propose relevant projects.
Members of the two delegations exchanged information on the latest developments related to the planned construction of a radioactive waste storage facility at Trgovska gora on the border between Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
It was noted that BiH should continue with reforms in accordance with the Third Energy Package, adopt the law on electricity and gas at the state level and the laws on renewable energy at the entity levels. The commission praised the adoption of the transport community's action plans for roads, road safety, railways and transport facilitation, and called on BiH authorities to establish a state agency for road safety.
Also, reforms in the field of railway transport require the establishment of a single safety body and an investigative body. The human resources of air traffic service providers need to be strengthened to avoid the risk of security oversight problems, stated the Directorate for European Integration of BiH.
(FENA) S. R.
