Public Opinion Poll on citizens' view on constitutional reform, commissioned in July 2013 within the project “Constitutional Reform in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Engaging Civil Society"

1. CITIZENS OPINION ON
STATE-LEVEL CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM
in Bosnia and Herzegovina
1000 CITIZENS
20
QUESTIONS
2013
JULY
A large part of EU funds for agriculture
require a state coordination; in its absence, EU
funds cannot be accessed by BIH and
consequently farmers and rural communities
lose the opportunity to directly access
hundreds millions of Euros.
The country lacks a single economic
space with unified trade regulations
throughout the country, which makes it
more difficult for farmers to sell their
products to foreign markets.
Procedures for the
allocation of subsidies
from local budgets are
not transparent and
open a lot of space for
corruption and
nepotism.
(Green Council NGO)
AGRICULTURE
The current BIH constitution grants competencies for agriculture to BIH’s Entities the
Republika Srpska and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzergovina. Inter-entity
coordination is limited, with little support from the Ministry of ForeignTrade and Economic
Relations (MOFTER).
97.2%
i t i s i m p o r t a n t
to address the agriculture sector
in state-level constitutional reform
OF CITIZENS THINK
92.3%
96.7%
98.1% 97.5%
BRCKORS SERB
FBIH
CROAT
FBIH
BOSNIAK
Ineffective coordination at the state-level is making
There has been no progress towards
establishing a State-level Ministry of
Agriculture, Food and Rural Development.
(EU Progress Report on Bosnia and Herzegovina 2010)
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
On 10 September 2013 the Commission had to cancel
two agriculture projects worth €5 million due to the
failure of the authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina to
agree on the structures to channel EU agriculture and
rural development assistance (IPARD).
(EU Progress Report for Bosnia and Herzegovina 2013).
2009
LOSEFARMERS
AGRICULTURE
SHOULD BE UNDER THE AUTHORITY
OF WHICH LEVEL OF GOVERNMENT?
STATE
64.6% ENTITY
17.7%
MUNICIPALITY
8% CANTON
7.3%
CITIZENS’ OPINIONS ON
STATE-LEVEL CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM
in Bosnia and Herzegovina
0
20
40
60
80
100
FBIH BOSNIAK
MAJORITY
FBIH CROAT
MAJORITY
RS SERB
MAJORITY
BRCKO
71.4%
64.6%
48.8%
84.8%
0
20
40
60
80
100
13.8%
41.8%
15.2%
FBIH BOSNIAK
MAJORITY
FBIH CROAT
MAJORITY
RS SERB
MAJORITY
BRCKO
4.3%
STATE
ENTITY
A strategy of ignoring the need for state-level engagement in this
sector has clearly not worked.
If Bosnia's rural population is to benefit from the
support available, the country needs efficient and
coherent management structures, that are
accountable.