The EU funds the Twinning project "EU for Further Development of the Statistical System in Bosnia and Herzegovina"
The "EU for Further Development of the Statistical System in Bosnia and Herzegovina" project was presented on April 4, 2024. Mr. Adebayo Babajide, the deputy head of the EU Delegation to Bosnia and Herzegovina, delivered the opening speech at the event.
The ambassadors of Slovenia, Finland, and Italy in Bosnia and Herzegovina, His Excellency Mr Damjan Sedar, His Excellency Mr Kalle Kankaanpäe, and Mr Lorenzo Donatelli, supported the project. They emphasised the significance of cooperation and knowledge exchange between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the European Union countries.
As the project leader, Jesper Ellemose Jensen from Statistics Denmark outlined the upcoming project activities, highlighting that the next two years would be dedicated to reinforcing the statistical system in Bosnia and Herzegovina. TMs. Marine Gandolfo from Istat, Ms Andreja Hočevar from the Statistical Office of Slovenia, and Ms Marike Pohjola from Statistics Finland also spoke about the significance of statistics in the EU accession process and how it contributes to sustainable development.
The Director of the Agency for Statistics of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ms. Vesna Ćužić, emphasised the project's significance in improving the country's statistical system, reporting, and analysis.
Ernadine Bajrović, the Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina; Mr Emir Kremić, the Director of the Institute for Statistics of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Mr Željko Asentić, the Assistant Director of the Institute for Statistics of the Republika Srpska, presented their institutions as important partners in achieving the project's goals.
The project "EU for Further Development of the Statistical System in Bosnia and Herzegovina" aims to strengthen BiH's statistical system and align a large number of statistics with EU standards through the implementation of forty-one (41) activities with experts from the EU. The project includes the Agency for Statistics of BiH, the Federal Institute for Statistics of the Federation of BiH, the Institute for Statistics of the Republika Srpska, and the Central Bank of BiH.
The project is focused on the development of the statistical business register, structural business statistics, the producer price index for services, the deflator in wholesale trade, business real estate indicators, tourism statistics through tourism satellite accounts, and the modernisation of the methodology for information and communication technology statistics. Additionally, the project aims to create indicators of living conditions that are not obtainable from administrative sources.
The Twinning project is a significant step towards strengthening Bosnia and Herzegovina's statistical system and aligning it with EU standards. This will create a foundation for better decision-making and greater transparency.
More information regarding the project is available on the website:
https://www.dst.dk/en/consulting/projects/bosnia-herzegovina-2024-2026