On 14 December 2007, a presentation of the upcoming Country Development and Social Inclusion Strategies, that will replace the Medium Term Development Strategy which expires in 2007, took place in Sarajevo.
The recently initialled SAA represents the first milestone on the road to Europe and it is therefore prudent to announce the preparations for a donors’ meeting once the two main economic and social documents for the coming period are drafted: the Country Development Strategy and Social Inclusion Strategy for Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The meeting was opened by Mr. Slobodan Soja, Head of Cabinet of Dr. Nikola Spiric, Chairman of the BiH Council of Ministers who gave a brief retrospective of the Medium Term Development Strategy, which covered the period of 2004 – 2007. He acknowledged the asisstance received from the EU and the UK both in technical and advisory terms as well as financial support. He said that the new strategy for the period 2008-2013 will be based on EU best practice.
Ambassador Dimitris Kourkoulas, Head of Delegation of the European Commission to BiH, stressed that, BiH must update its development goals in a comprehensive and coherent Country Development Strategy that should, preferably, encompass the Social Inclusion Strategy in a single document. This document should serve as a roadmap for economic expansion, improved global competitiveness, social justice and a better living standard for all. He highlighted the scope and complexity of the task the BiH Directorate for Economic Planning (DEP) faces, which requires inter-institutional and multi-sectoral co-ordination at all government levels and genuine social and economic dialogue, so as to define the optimal combination of development policies for the country as a whole. To achieve all its objectives, the Country Development Strategy should provide for a common vision of the development of the country, and avoid divergent economic policies.
A coherent Strategy that properly sets out the development objectives of BiH is important because once it makes progress towards Europe and becomes a candidate country, its Development Strategy will become the basis for the programming of EU assistance under the Instrument for Pre-Accession (IPA) in the areas of economic, human resources and rural development, thus representing the basis for future financial assistance.
Both the EU and the UK Department for International Development (DFID) provide technical assistance to strengthen the DEP’s capacity to co-ordinate institutional dialogue and economic policy development.
H. E. Matthew Rycroft, Ambassador of the United Kingdom to BiH, congratulated BiH on having initialled the SAA as the first step towards future candidate country status. He stressed five necessary points which the DEP should address in the on-going preparation of the new Strategy:
- Donors that back the project
- A coherent strategy
- Ownership of the document by DEP
- EU methodology
- Proper links to budgetary planning
Mrs. Azemina Vukovic, Assistant Director in the DEP, reviewed the implementation of the Medium Term Development Strategy, stating that more than 60 % of planned projects were implemented, many of which are still ongoing, with only 7 % not implemented at all. She explained that the report, which is almost finished, has some shortfalls, specifically with regards to statistics due to the fact that EU statistical standards have not been implemented throughout BiH. She elaborated on the methodology, scope and problems in preparing the new Country Development and Social Strategy, reviewing goals which have already been met and related Decisions by the BiH Council of Ministers.
