The Ministry of Communications and Transport of Bosnia and Herzegovina has announced a series of changes that should modernize the vehicle registration system and gradually raise the standards for importing used cars into BiH.
The proposal is that in the future, passenger vehicles must meet at least EURO 6, and cargo EURO 5 emission standards, which would gradually raise the quality of vehicles coming to our market.
On the one hand, we get younger, safer, more environmentally friendly, but therefore more expensive vehicles, given that the entry price threshold for importing a used car will be significantly higher than it is now.
From April 1 of the following year, it will no longer be possible to import a car if it does not meet the “Euro 6” standard.
The state Ministry of Communications and Transport says that Bosnia and Herzegovina has the oldest vehicle fleet in Europe with an average vehicle age of 17.5 years.
EDIN FORTO, Minister of Communications and Transport of Bosnia and Herzegovina
“I don’t want Bosnia and Herzegovina to be the graveyard of European cars, because if we don’t improve this, whole systems will develop that will dispose of their old vehicles that no one wants here. We absolutely do not want to accept that.”
When it comes to raising standards when importing cars, citizens’ opinions are divided.
Traffic experts welcome the intention to rejuvenate the vehicle fleet, but warn that this does not necessarily have an effect on improving traffic safety.
MILENKO JAĆIMOVIĆ, traffic safety expert
“During the investigation of traffic accidents, we have seen cases of two- to three-year-old vehicles whose braking and stopping systems have failed. So in no case will we significantly affect traffic safety or technical correctness by raising the standard.”
After the “Euro 6” standard becomes the minimum when importing, it will not be possible to import a vehicle older than 12 years, i.e. manufactured before 2015, when the application of this standard began. This will automatically increase the price of used vehicles by 10 to 20 percent, both those that will be imported and those that were previously imported, because they will become the only alternative for buyers with smaller pockets.
ZORAN PAVLOVIĆ, economic analyst
“As an economist, what bothers me the most is that we deal with administration that raises the prices of citizens, and we do nothing so that citizens can have higher wages and can afford new cars. Today, who would not buy a new Chinese car if they had the money for it.”
Anyone planning to buy a used car, if they want to do it more favorably, has six months at their disposal, that is, they can do it until April 1 of the following year, when it will be possible to import vehicles produced in 2015 at the latest, BHRT writes.
