WYG Consulting is implementing a new project in Bosnia and Herzegovina – “EU Support to State Aid legislation”. The EU-financed project will be delivered from September 2023 until September 2026 with the aim to align state aid system in BiH with the EU acquis communitaire.
After the initial project meeting at the EU Delegation ‘EU Support to the State Aid System in Bosnia and Herzegovina,’ held on September 5, 2023, and the agreement on planned project activities and expected results, the implementation of the project has commenced.
Direct project beneficiaries are the State Aid Council (SAC) and implementing authorities (IA´s), BiH Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations, RS Ministry of Finance, FBIH Ministry of Finance, and Brčko District Directorate of Finance. Other stakeholders are State aid grantors.
The main objective of the Project is to further improve the existing State aid control and monitoring system in BiH with the respective EU State aid system supporting the development and alignment of State-aid legislation and by-laws as well as harmonisation of existing State aid schemes with obligations arising from the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA). In that respect, the Project´s goal is to provide support to key stakeholders from a legal and organisational perspective, in order to achieve Component 1. result: “State aid legislation further harmonised with the EU acquis”. The overall State aid ecosystem in BiH will be further aligned with the EU acquis. The capacity building of the SAC and Implementing Authorities, understaffed and lacking practical experience in State aid control and monitoring, will be the focal point for achieving Component 2. result: “Strengthened institutional/administrative capacities of the State Aid Council and Implementing Authorities”. In parallel with the systemic framework set up the Project has to ensure that key stakeholders have significant awareness of State aid rules through the organisation of seminars, on-the-job trainings and similar events for State aid beneficiaries, , business society, academic society and civil society in order to achieve Component 3. result: “Awareness of key stakeholders on State aid rules raised”. This Component is immensely connected with continuous advocacy that should be done with and through SAC, its Secretariat and IAs.