The main objective of the Project “Strengthening  the BiH Rural Development Programming Capacities – 3P BHRD” is to provide technical assistance for strengthening the agriculture and rural development programming and payment capacities in BiH in order to support BiH’s access in the future to more significant funds from IPA programme earmarked for Rural Development. The Project, which was officially presented on 5 November 2009 at the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH, is financed by the European Union with an amount of 1 million euro, through IPA 2007 programme.

“This technical assistance Project we are launching today demonstrates our commitment to support Bosnia and Herzegovina in achieving its pre-accession objective in rural development sector. The statistical data in BiH indicate that more than 81% of the total land area, 60% of the population and 80% of the municipalities of Bosnia and Herzegovina are classified as rural.  These figures confirm the critical importance of rural development for the country and the urgent need to develop effective policies that can better support the diverse needs of rural areas”.

“The European Union considers that the development of this sectors is a significant part of the current and future development of the BiH economy, with the potential to make a very real contribution to improve the quality of life in rural areas throughout the country”, stated Johan Hesse, Head of Section for Economic Development, Trade and Natural Resources within the European Commission Delegation to BiH.

Mr Hesse also emphasised that BiH needed to have a state level rural development programme, applicable throughout the country, as well as defined policies for the rural sector.

The objective of the 3P-BHRD project will be achieved through the gradual strengthening of governance structures and fostering of harmonisation and approximation of this sector with the EU and the promotion of participatory approaches in the design and management of rural development measures, demonstrated through the application of pilot activities.

“Besides the agriculture and rural development programming and the payment capacities, the Project will also include pilot-schemes for development of local partnerships. Our consultants will be assisting people in developing, registering and planning activities, so that we can have at least three local action groups by the end of 2010 which will be capable of applying for funds available from different budgets, such as the funds of the World Bank or the European Union’s pilot grants. But both the World Bank and the European Union must see that the programmes are developed and especially that the payment system is introduced in BiH” – stated Mr Jacek Wesierski, Team Leader of the 3P- BHRD Project.

The implementation of the Project will start on 1 December 2009 with training and courses which will foster the measures and programmes which need to be harmonized with IPA programme specifically designated for the rural development. The measures will be created in such a manner to enhance the economic and social development of rural communities in the target areas of BiH.

“The primary purpose of this Project is to build a structure which is required to be in a position to use the funds allocated for the agriculture and rural development. In order to use the pre-accession funds from the IPA programmes, we first need to obtain a candidate country status” – stated Mr Dušan Nešković, Assistant Minister for Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of BiH.

The Project will be implemented by the Consortium led by NIRAS International Consultants in association with the Foundation of Assistance Programmes for Agriculture (FAPA). The main Project beneficiary is the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of BiH and its Sector for Agriculture, Food, Forestry and Rural Development. Both Entities and Brcko District will benefit whilst building their capacities within the national framework for rural development programming under EU IPARD support mechanism guidelines and building LEADER-type action groups at the local level.