Commenting on the BiH Framework Transport policy, currently in Parliamentary procedure, EUD/EUSR Spokesperson Andy McGuffie said:

“Adoption of the State-level policy is essential to advancing the drafting and implementation of the BiH Transport Strategy and the strategic documents and action plans pertaining to all Transport sub-sectors – road, railways, intermodal and maritime transport. The EU has allocated €1 million from Instrument for Pre-Accession (IPA) funds for drafting of the Transport Strategy and for drafting of strategies and action plans for all sub-sectors on all levels. Furthermore, the Commission has stated its intent to prioritise investments in BiH transport infrastructure under IPA II (2014-2020) funds. However all assistance is conditional on having the State-level Transport policy in place.

“In the context of the ongoing parliamentary debate, we urge the BiH Parliament to take the necessary steps to have the policy adopted as a matter of urgency. Failure to adopt the policy and the ensuing country-wide strategy would be detrimental to possible future investments in the transport sector through IPA II.”

Note to editors

• Following its adoption by the BiH Council of Ministers in December, on Thursday 16 January the BiH House of Representatives Traffic and Communications Committee did not support the Framework Transport Policy of BiH for the period until 2020 and proposed that the BiH House of Representatives return this document to the proponent for further consideration, based on the guidelines expressed during the debate in the Committee Session.