Strategic Moves - Regional Environmental Center for Central and ...

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C H A P T E R 5
N AT I O N A L S T R AT E G I C A N D I N S T I T U T I O N A L F R A M E W O R K
S T R AT E G I C M O V E S
the regulatory framework in the water supply and wastewater administration sector
was adopted in 2008 and it is expected that the amended version of the National
Water Strategy of 2003 will be adopted in 2010. Implementing legislation
and action plans for legislative approximation to the Water Framework Directive
and the Nitrates and Urban Waste Water Treatment Directives are pending
adoption (EC SEC [2009] 1337).
There is still a need to improve the legislative and strategic framework in the
solid waste sector. Limited progress has been made on developing the Solid Waste
Management Strategy, which is one of the bottlenecks to the improvement of waste
management systems (waste collection, treatment services and final sanitary landfilling).
The National Waste Management Plan is expected to be adopted in 2010.
Although the government has earmarked a satisfactory budget for the waste sector,
the need for good planning and for efficient policies and strategies is an immediate
priority in order to make use of available EU funds and to invest efficiently.
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, a state-level environment law ensuring harmonised
countrywide environmental protection has not yet been adopted. The
draft law will be presented in June 2010. The Environmental Law will define the
establishment of the Environment Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The preparation
of accompanying strategies and secondary legislation is in process in both entities.
Republika Srpska is currently preparing the Nature Protection Strategy and
the Air Protection Strategy. The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina has completed
the preparation of the Federal Strategy for Environmental Protection comprising
four separate strategies — on nature protection, air protection, waste
management and water management. The strategy is expected to be adopted by
the end of 2009. According to the EC progress report, the transposition and implementation
of the acquis in the field of horizontal legislation requires considerable
improvement. The implementation of environmental legislation remains a
concern and the integration of environmental aspects in other sectors remains weak
(EC SEC [2009] 1338).
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the main developments have been registered in the
water sector. The implementation of the Water Framework Directive has begun via
the entity water laws (in the Federation in 2006, and in Republika Srpska in 2006).
The adopted water laws envisage the greater involvement of local government units
in project identification and preparation activities. Implementing legislation has
been adopted for water laws and water charges, and for harmful and dangerous
substances and their maximum levels in surface waters. Water agencies have been
operational in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina since January 2008. Agencies
are still to be established in Republika Srpska: two agencies are planned in Bijeljina
and Trebinje. The adoption of the Water Management Strategy in the
Federation is expected at the beginning of 2010 (EC SEC [2009] 1338).
The Solid Waste Management Strategy in Bosnia and Herzegovina, developed
through an EU/Phare project, was adopted in 2000. The legislative framework in the
waste sector is incomplete, which creates an obstacle to the development of physical
infrastructure. Little progress has therefore been achieved in the construction of regional
sanitary landfills and in the rehabilitation and closure of unregulated landfills.