Agreements on cooperation between seven institutions within the EU4ADMIN project were signed today in Sarajevo, strengthening the exchange and use of administrative data for the production of official statistics in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The Agency for Statistics of Bosnia and Herzegovina signed new cooperation agreements with the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of BiH and the Service for Affairs with Foreigners, while expanded versions of existing agreements were signed with the Indirect Taxation Authority of BiH and the Directorate of Finance of the Brčko District of BiH.
The Federal Bureau of Statistics signed new agreements with the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of BiH and the Service for Affairs with Foreigners, while the Republican Statistical Institute of Republika Srpska signed an agreement with the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of BiH.
The agreements are the result of almost three years of work aimed at strengthening cooperation between statistical institutions and institutions that collect and maintain administrative data.
Through EU4ADMIN, cooperation has focused on establishing clearer rules for data exchange, defining responsibilities more precisely and creating a more sustainable system for using administrative data in the production of official statistics.
The cooperation covers areas including short-term business statistics, crime, demography, traffic and tourism. In addition to the agreements, the project has contributed to improving the methodological and professional capacities of institutions, the quality of administrative data sources and the IT solutions required for secure and efficient data processing.
The improved use of administrative data is also expected to benefit the economy. Where information is already available through administrative records, businesses can face less need to submit the same or similar information to multiple institutions, reducing their administrative burden.
At the same time, more detailed and up-to-date information on economic trends can provide a more reliable basis for planning and investment decisions. High-quality statistical data is also essential for enabling public authorities to design policies that more accurately address the problems they are intended to solve.
The development of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s statistical system is an important part of the country’s European integration process. It falls under Chapter 18, Statistics, one of the 35 negotiating chapters within the EU accession framework. Chapter 18 is part of Cluster 1, Fundamentals, which is among the first clusters to be opened in the accession process.
Progress in this area therefore also demonstrates the capacity of institutions to base reforms and public policies on reliable data and to monitor their results.
The signing ceremony was attended by senior representatives of the institutions involved and the Delegation of the European Union in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Opening remarks were delivered by Gayelle Nizery, Head of Department at the Delegation of the European Union in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Vesna Ćužić, Director of the Agency for Statistics of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The agreements were signed by Vesna Ćužić, Šemso Šurković, Acting Director of the Federal Statistical Office, Nebojša Knežević, Deputy Director of the Republican Statistical Office of Republika Srpska, Ivana Zovko-Planinić, Director of the Secretariat of the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Žarko Laketa, Director of the Service for Affairs with Foreigners, Ratko Kovačević from the Indirect Taxation Authority, and Janja Geljić, Director of the Directorate of Finance of the Brčko District of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
