Council of Ministers of BiH unanimously adopted the Economic Reform Program for the period 2026-2028.

(Patria) - The 99th session of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina was held in Sarajevo today.

The Council of Ministers of BiH unanimously adopted and will submit to the European Commission the Economic Reform Program of Bosnia and Herzegovina (ERP BiH) for the period 2026-2028, which, in synergy with the Reform Agenda, represents a key document for the stabilization and association process for meeting the economic criteria for EU membership.

The ERP BiH 2026-2028 defines economic policy measures for all levels of government over a three-year period and is aligned with three sustainable development directions in BiH: good governance and public sector management, smart growth and a society of equal opportunities, as well as two horizontal themes: human capital for the future and the principle of leaving no one behind.

This document presents projections for Bosnia and Herzegovina's average growth rate in the period 2026-2028. It is projected that the economy will record real GDP growth of around 2.6 percent in 2026, primarily driven by strengthening domestic demand.

Medium-Term Work Program of the Council of Ministers of BiH

At today's session, the Medium-Term Work Program of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina 2026-2028 was adopted in a new text, which will be published on the websites of the Council of Ministers of BiH and the Directorate for Economic Planning (DEP).

The Medium-Term Work Program, proposed by DEP, provides, among other things, a planned basis for quality development management over the three-year period, in accordance with the competencies of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina and BiH institutions, and its integration with the budget, in order to increase fiscal discipline.

This is the 11th strategic document of its kind, presenting a package of measures, projects, strategic documents, and acts, the implementation of which by 54 institutions accountable to the Council of Ministers of BiH will contribute to achieving the strategic goals and priorities identified in the document "Strategic Framework of BiH Institutions until 2030".

The strategic goals set by the Medium-Term Program are aligned with the further integration process of Bosnia and Herzegovina into the European Union and the obligations arising from the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA).

UN and BiH Cooperation

The Council of Ministers of BiH adopted the document "Cooperation Framework for Sustainable Development between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the United Nations (UN) for the period 2026-2030" and the Information from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the continuation of cooperation between BiH and the UN in the upcoming five-year period presented in this document.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will submit this document to the Presidency of BiH for further adoption procedure, and the Chairperson of the Council of Ministers of BiH, Borjana Krišto, has been proposed as the BiH signatory on behalf of BiH.

The document represents a strategic framework for partnership in the upcoming five-year period between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the United Nations in addressing needs and implementing priorities in the area of sustainable development in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Cooperation Framework defines three strategic priorities to improve the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Bosnia and Herzegovina: inclusive green growth, human capital development, responsible institutions, and social cohesion.

The implementation of the Cooperation Framework involves a coordinated approach and the inclusion of domestic authorities at all levels, respecting their competencies and current policies, strategies, and legislation, and in consultation with civil society actors.

Strengthening BiH and Slovenia Cooperation

At the session, the Proposal for the basis for initiating the procedure and the appointment of a delegation to conduct negotiations for the conclusion of the Agreement on Amendments and Additions to the Agreement between the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Government of the Republic of Slovenia on the employment of citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Republic of Slovenia was determined.

The amendments and additions to the Agreement will enable and facilitate the legal employment of citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Republic of Slovenia and prevent irregular labor migration.

In this way, cooperation between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Slovenia in the field of labor and employment will be improved, by enabling better working conditions and the realization of rights in this area for BiH citizens in Slovenia.

The Proposal for the basis will be submitted to the Presidency of BiH for further procedure, and the Minister of Civil Affairs has been proposed as the BiH signatory.

Strengthening Gender Equality

At the session, the Proposal for a Grant Agreement between the Kingdom of Sweden and the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina regarding the program "Institutional Strengthening for Results in Gender Equality" (Programme Gear-up for Gender Equality Results), proposed by the Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees, was determined in a new text.

This involves grant funds in a maximum amount of approximately KM 2,200,000 (SEK 13,000,000) for a project implemented by the Agency for Gender Equality of Bosnia and Herzegovina on behalf of the Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees of BiH, in partnership with the Gender Centre of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Centre for Equality and Gender of Republika Srpska.

The Kingdom of Sweden is thus supporting the capacity building and institutional strengthening of gender equality mechanisms in BiH in the implementation of the BiH Gender Action Plan, with the aim of achieving change in the area of gender equality and empowering women in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Proposal for a Grant Agreement will be submitted to the Presidency of BiH for further decision-making procedure, and the Minister of Human Rights and Refugees has been proposed as the BiH signatory.

Register of Estimated Property Values in RS

The Council of Ministers of BiH accepted the Initiative of the Ministry of Finance and Treasury to conduct negotiations for the conclusion of a Loan Agreement (Mass Property Valuation Project, Improvement of e-Governance and Development of Geospatial Data Infrastructure in RS) between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, worth EUR 35,125,752.

The main goal of the Project is to establish a register of estimated property values, with the aim of improving the efficiency, transparency, accessibility, and reliability of the real estate market in Republika Srpska, as well as further improving data within the land registry.

The primary beneficiaries will be citizens in Republika Srpska and those living abroad, as well as domestic and foreign investors, with particular attention to women and vulnerable members of society to ensure a more equitable distribution of benefits in the property taxation process.

Beneficiaries would also include courts, real estate market experts, lawyers, surveyors, appraisers, government institutions, organizations, and other authorities, as they will have easier access to property information.

The loan is allocated to Republika Srpska with a maximum maturity of up to 32 years, including a grace period of up to seven years.

The Ministry of Finance and Treasury will submit the proposal of this agreement to the Council of Ministers of BiH after the negotiations are completed.

Extension of Deadline

The Council of Ministers of BiH, upon the proposal of the Ministry of Justice, adopted a Decision extending the deadline for the implementation of strategic goal 1.2.a of the Revised State Strategy for War Crimes Cases until the end of 2028.

This implements the conclusion from the 92nd session of the Council of Ministers of BiH, held on November 4, 2025, when the Information on the conclusion of the Supervisory Body for Monitoring the Implementation of the Revised State Strategy for War Crimes Cases was adopted, to extend by three years strategic goal 1.2.a, which relates to the prosecution of the most complex and priority war crimes cases before the Court and Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and other cases before the judicial bodies of the entities and Brčko District of BiH.

This information presents data from courts and prosecutor's offices on work on war crimes cases and the number of unresolved criminal cases registered before the judiciary of Bosnia and Herzegovina as of December 31, 2024, which showed that the prosecution of war crimes cases will not be completed by the previously defined deadline, i.e., by the end of 2025.

BiH and Slovenia Cooperation through ITF

Upon the proposal of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, a Decision was made to give consent to the extension of the application of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Government of the Republic of Slovenia.

The Decision extends the application of this memorandum for two years, which will contribute to the continuation of cooperation between BiH and Slovenia through the International Trust Fund for Demining and Mine Victims Assistance (ITF), with the aim of reducing mine contamination in Bosnia and Herzegovina and assisting mine victims.

The Slovenian side has also previously given consent to the extension of the application of the Memorandum of Understanding.

Ratification of Readmission Agreement with Lithuania

Upon the proposal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a Proposal for a Decision on the ratification of the Protocol between the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Government of the Republic of Lithuania on the implementation of the Agreement between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the European Community on the readmission of persons residing without authorization, signed in Sarajevo on June 30, 2025, was determined.

The Protocol implements the Agreement between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the European Community on the readmission of persons residing illegally.

The Proposal for a Decision on the ratification of this protocol will be submitted to the Presidency of BiH for further ratification procedure.

Rulebook on BHANSA

The Council of Ministers of BiH gave consent to the Proposal for Amendments to the Rulebook on Salaries, Allowances, and Benefits in the Air Navigation Services Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The aim of the amendments to the Rulebook is to improve the efficiency and fairness of the employee reward system, in line with the Agency's development needs and changes in the work environment.

Current staffing risks, including controller dissatisfaction, increased sick leave, and departures abroad, seriously affect the stability of the system and the quality of service provision.

The amendments to the Rulebook envisage the introduction of performance-based pay, a principle that would ensure that employee work is valued according to their actual contribution.

This approach primarily involves increasing salaries for key operational staff, whose role and workload directly impact the safety and continuity of service provision, thereby creating conditions for retaining existing staff.

Bilateral Agreements on Trade and Economic Cooperation

The Council of Ministers of BiH adopted the Information of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations on the implementation of bilateral agreements on trade and/or economic cooperation, trade, and free (preferential) trade agreements concluded by Bosnia and Herzegovina with other countries, which will be submitted to the Presidency and the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH.

According to the Information, 94.2 percent of BiH exports in 2024 were placed on European markets.

The two largest groups of trading partners for Bosnia and Herzegovina are the EU and CEFTA countries, where 90.4 percent of the total value of BiH exports were recorded in 2024, while 3.8 percent was exported to markets of the remaining two partners with whom a free trade agreement is in force, namely EFTA countries and the Republic of Turkey. Only 5.7 percent of BiH exports were placed in the rest of the world.

Bosnia and Herzegovina had concluded 33 bilateral agreements on trade and/or economic cooperation by the end of 2024.

The Information, which contains key findings and recommendations for improving the situation in this area, emphasizes the need to continue activities leading to increased efficiency in the implementation of concluded agreements, especially through the application of alternative forms of cooperation, as well as considering the need to replace some old agreements with new ones to intensify bilateral cooperation.

The Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations will continue to monitor the implementation of bilateral agreements on trade and/or economic cooperation, trade, and free (preferential) trade agreements concluded by BiH with other countries and will report to the Council of Ministers of BiH at least once a year.

Individual Work Programs of the Council of Ministers of BiH Institutions

At the session, the individual work programs of 50 institutions of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina for 2026 were unanimously adopted, including the work programs of nine state ministries and standing bodies of the Council of Ministers of BiH (General Secretariat, Legislative Office, Directorate for European Integration, and Directorate for Economic Planning).

Individual work programs for 2026 were also adopted for the BiH Civil Service Agency, the BiH Institute of Metrology, the State Investigation and Protection Agency, the Public Procurement Review Body, the State Regulatory Agency for Radiation and Nuclear Safety, the BiH Food Safety Agency, the BiH Directorate for the Coordination of Police Bodies, the BiH Return Fund, the BiH Competition Council, and three institutes: for Intellectual Property, for Standardization, and for Accreditation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Among the adopted work programs are those of the Public Administration Reform Coordinator's Office, as well as several state agencies, namely for statistics, postal services, insurance in BiH, higher education development and quality assurance, for training and professional development of staff, for preschool, primary, and secondary education in BiH, for police support, for labor and employment, for medicines and medical devices, for forensic examinations and expert opinions, for market surveillance in BiH, for the promotion of foreign investments in BiH (FIPA), and for civil aviation of BiH.

At the session, work programs for 2026 were also adopted for the Central Harmonization Unit of the BiH Ministry of Finance and Treasury, the BiH Border Police, the Service for Foreigners' Affairs, the Centre for Information and Recognition of Documents in the Field of Higher Education, the Service for Joint Affairs of BiH Institutions, the Institution of the Ombudsman for Consumer Protection in BiH, the BiH Archives, the BiH Mine Action Centre, the BiH Institute for Execution of Criminal Sanctions, Detention and Other Measures, the BiH Concessions Commission, and the BiH Plant Protection Administration.

Appointments

The Council of Ministers of BiH accepted the Opinion of the BiH Civil Service Agency for the appointment of senior civil servants, directors, and deputy directors of the Veterinary Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina, following the completed public advertisement procedure.

Saša Bošković was appointed Director of the Veterinary Office of BiH, and Boro Krišto was appointed Deputy Director, as the most successful candidates from the list of successful applicants.

Previously, the former managers of the BiH Veterinary Agency were dismissed due to the expiry of their mandates, namely the former director Saša Bošković, deputy director Pavo Radić, and secretary Muamer Dervišević.

Džemil Hajrić was appointed acting secretary of the Veterinary Office until the completion of the tender procedure, for a maximum period of three months.

At the session, the Report of the Ministry of Civil Affairs on the public advertisement procedure for the selection of one member of the Management Board (MB) of the Centre for Information and Recognition of Documents in the Field of Higher Education from among national minorities was also adopted.

Amila Taljanović was appointed a member of the MB of the Centre for Information and Recognition of Documents in the Field of Higher Education from among national minorities for a mandate period of three years.

Previously, Ivana Novaković, whose mandate expired, was dismissed from her position as a member from among national minorities.

State Award for Sports

The Council of Ministers of BiH, upon the proposal of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, previously adopted the Decision on the amount of the one-time monetary award for meritorious athletes of Bosnia and Herzegovina and top international athletes for 2025 within the Grant for awarding monetary prizes to meritorious and top international athletes in the amount of KM 100,000.00.

According to the Decision, 12 meritorious athletes of Bosnia and Herzegovina will receive one-time monetary awards ranging from KM 1,700 to KM 2,600, for a total amount of KM 27,600.

At the same time, 51 top international athletes will receive a one-time monetary award ranging from KM 1,400 to KM 1,600, for a total amount of KM 72,400.

Simultaneously, the Council of Ministers of BiH awarded the State Award for Sports of Bosnia and Herzegovina for 2025, in the amount of KM 10,000, to cyclist Lejla Njemčević, upon the proposal of the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

Throughout her sports career, Njemčević has achieved the best results in cycling sports for Bosnia and Herzegovina, winning medals and titles: world's best marathon cyclist in 2022 and 2023, overall World Cup winner in 2022 and 2023, 15 World Cup medals, five-time consecutive Balkan champion, 40 wins in UCI - World Cycling competitions, 21-time national champion of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Ambassador of the International Olympic Committee.

In the 2023 and 2024 seasons, she became the official best female cyclist in the world, and in 2025, she won second place in the World Cup in Italy and finished the season as the 4th best cyclist in the world.

The Council of Ministers of BiH also adopted a Decision on approving funds for Bosnia and Herzegovina's participation in the 61st Venice Biennale of Contemporary Art in 2026.

The Decision approves funds in the amount of KM 250,000 to the Museum of Contemporary Art of Republika Srpska, the representative of Bosnia and Herzegovina at the 61st Venice Biennale of Contemporary Art in 2026, for the project “Domus Diasporica” by author Mladen Bundalo and exhibition curator Isidora Živković.

Upon the proposal of the General Secretariat, a Decision was also made on appointing members of the Coordination for Interoperability of the Council of Ministers of BiH, whose task is to ensure synchronized progress of all institutions of the Council of Ministers of BiH in the field of data digitalization, electronic data exchange, and interoperability of information systems.

Representatives from the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers of BiH, the Indirect Taxation Authority of BiH, the Agency for Identification Documents, Records and Data Exchange of BiH, the BiH Agency for Statistics, the Ministry of Communications and Transport of BiH, the Ministry of Security, and the BiH Police Support Agency have been appointed to the Coordination for Interoperability.

Members of the Coordination for Interoperability are appointed for a period of four years, and they can be replaced during their term.

Upon the entry into force of this decision, the decision on the appointment of the previous composition of the Coordination for Interoperability will cease to be valid.