Bulc: If BiH authorities disagree with the Pelješac Bridge construction, they should formally address Brussels

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - EU Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc stated after meetings with BiH officials that if BiH authorities disagree with the construction of the Pelješac Bridge, they need to formally address Brussels. She reminded that the EU financially supported this infrastructure project based on documentation submitted by Croatia.

- The European Commission made the decision on co-financing based on documents submitted by Croatia. The project is also co-financed from the Regional Development Fund - Bulc said.

It is important for BiH to have projects for which it can apply for funds. The problem of absorbing these funds is not unique to BiH. In BiH, the problem is how to prepare projects. We discussed how to speed up the pace of project implementation, Bulc added.

The Minister of Transport and Communications of BiH, Ismir Jusko, stated after the meeting with EU Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc that the European Union (EU) has secured 2.3 billion KM for the construction of transport infrastructure on Corridor Vc, of which 600 million euros are already operational.

Jusko emphasized that the entities have the task of drawing these funds through concrete infrastructure projects.

Jusko said that the most important topics of the meeting were the construction of bridges near Gradiška and Svilaj and access roads, the construction of the Adriatic-Ionian Highway, as well as traffic safety.

European Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc stated that transport connectivity of the Western Balkans is a strategic interest of the European Union. She assessed that excellent cooperation between the EU and BiH in the field of transport infrastructure has been achieved in the past two years and that the results are evident.

She stated that today's discussions also included railway transport, as an important segment of transport, and road safety, with the message that human lives are the most important. Bulc stated that in the EU, there are 26,000 fatalities and 137,000 seriously injured people in traffic accidents annually.

Therefore, she emphasizes, it is very important for BiH to join the EU's "Vision Zero" initiative, which implies a complete reduction in the number of traffic victims by 2050, and she called on the authorities in BiH to improve the legal framework in this area.

Violeta Bulc also met with the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of BiH, Denis Zvizdić, to discuss transport projects significant for the development of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the implementation of reform measures in the transport sector.

Zvizdić emphasized that Bosnia and Herzegovina is committed to connecting the entire Western Balkan region through its transport network and to preserving peace and stability in the region. He stressed that transport is one of the most important areas of cooperation between the European Union and the Western Balkans and highlighted that connectivity is of great importance in strengthening the stability and progress of the region.

Chairman Zvizdić and Commissioner Bulc also discussed the use of railways as the most environmentally friendly and safe mode of transport, both for freight and passengers.

Speaking about road passenger safety and the reduction of fatalities and injuries in traffic accidents, Chairman Zvizdić said that the positive aspects of the Law on Road Traffic Safety in BiH are already being felt and that expert and technical assistance is necessary for further improvement of this segment.

The meeting was attended by the Head of the Delegation of the European Union to BiH, Ambassador Lars Gunnar Wigemark.