Iteración 4 Integración y refactorización, algoritmo de explicación final

Regarding agriculture and rural development policy, a countrywide rural development strategy and State-level Laws on Wine and on Organic production have not yet been adopted. Implementation of the State-level strategic plan and the harmonisation programme for agriculture, food and rural development remains pending. Harmonisation of Republika Srpska’s rural development strategy and action plan and the Federation’s harmonisation programme for agriculture, food and rural development with the State-level framework still remains to be done. The Federation’s Strategy for agriculture and rural development is pending. Channels for coordination at State-level and at the Entity levels remain insufficient. The coordination of rural development policy and actions, including support measures, remain

Regarding preparations for the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance for Rural Development, an agreement on the institutional structures for decentralised management still has to be reached. Additional sectoral analyses for two more sectors, forestry and aquaculture, are expected to be completed in 2014. More staff has been recruited to the Office for Harmonisation and Coordination of Payment Systems, but the office still does not have the capacity to carry out its tasks properly. Building up the Entities’ capacities remained uneven. Republika Srpska increased its staffing and continued to build up its capacities, especially at its Paying Agency. The administrative capacities of the Federation’s ministry for agriculture and Brčko District’s agriculture department remain insufficient. Inter-sectoral coordination and the participation of the non-governmental sector remain weak.

The Entities’ budgets for agriculture and rural development remain insufficient. Subsidies to farmers remain mainly product-based and alignment with the acquis remains weak. Efforts to improve productivity and competitiveness remained hampered by the lack of an efficient administration and effective rural credit schemes.

The adoption of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s agricultural information strategy and the Law on the Agricultural Census remain pending. Agricultural statistics and the agricultural information system remain to be improved, including harmonisation of existing systems. Harmonisation of land registration systems has yet to be improved and land management requires strengthening.

As regards food safety, implementing legislation on nutrition labelling, infant formulae and novel food was adopted.

As regards the placing on the market of food and feed, Bosnia and Herzegovina adopted new legal provisions on hygiene rules for food and feed establishments and microbiological criteria for foodstuffs. Residue monitoring plans for honey, dairy, poultry and eggs were positively evaluated by the European Commission, thus allowing export of honey from Bosnia and Herzegovina into the European Union.

Clarification of the chain of command and removal of overlaps within the official food and feed control system remain a key priority. Legislation at State-level is neither adopted nor implemented at Entity level. The capacity to implement official controls is weak. Systems to ensure an exchange of information on official controls among relevant authorities and central authorities are not adequate. A strategy on laboratory capacity to cover analysis of samples in line with official controls on food and feed chains still needs to be drawn up. As a temporary measure, a political agreement was signed between the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations, the Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Water Management of Republika Srpska and the Ministry of Agriculture, Water Management and Forestry of the Federation ‘on the establishment of a chain of command meeting EU requirements for exports of milk and milk products from Bosnia and Herzegovina to the EU‘, which is a key EU import requirement. The full implementation of this Protocol is still pending. Training was started in EU hygiene rules for staff of relevant authorities and food business operators. Checks and registration of milk farms were stepped up to ensure compliance with EU requirements. Implementing legislation was adopted to allow the State Veterinary Office to check and approve establishments for export to the EU, but implementation has not started. The regulatory framework for the control of import of food of non-animal origin requires upgrading.

In the veterinary sector, implementing legislation was adopted on movement of pets and control of animal diseases, including bovine spongiform encephalopathy and zoonoses (salmonella). Vaccinations against brucellosis and rabies are conducted regularly. The existing legal framework for animal health requires upgrading. Deficiencies in the existing animal identification and movement control system do not allow proper implementation of

animal health measures or their planning. The national system for the management of animal by-products needs to be upgraded to comply with EU requirements. More efforts are needed in the veterinary sector to implement measures to meet EU import requirements.

In the phytosanitary sector, efforts continued to implement legislation harmonised with the acquis in an integrated manner throughout the country. The issuing of phytosanitary certificates in line with the International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM) Number 12 started on 1st July 2013. Registration of phytosanitary operators started on 1st September. The network of laboratories dedicated to phytosanitary diagnostic tests requires optimisation in line with realistic analyses and inspection needs. A new Law on Plant Protection Products in line with the acquis has not yet been adopted. Training of agricultural producers in the use of plant protection products and application of maximum residue limits commenced. A national plan for monitoring of residues was finalised. Efforts are needed to expand the application of principles of integrated pest management.

Regarding genetically modified organisms (GMOs), several pieces of implementing legislation on authorisation, traceability and labelling were adopted.

Regarding fisheries, Republika Srpska and the Federation adopted legislation on freshwater fisheries that is partially aligned with the acquis. Bosnia and Herzegovina needs to step up efforts to implement the acquis for this area to facilitate an increase in exports of fish and fishery products to the EU.

Overall, there was little progress in the fields of agriculture and rural development, food safety, veterinary, phytosanitary policy and fisheries. A countrywide rural development strategy has not yet been adopted. State-level capacity for coordination and harmonisation needs strengthening. Agricultural statistics and the information system still need to be improved. Improving the productivity and competitiveness is being hampered by the lack of an efficient administration and effective rural credit schemes. Implementation of the food safety and veterinary acquis remained uneven and official control capacity needs to be upgraded. Preparations in these areas of the acquis are at an early stage.