Miloš Bugarin: Bosnia violates CEFTA agreement

(Miloš Bugarin)

- Bosnia and Herzegovina is violating CEFTA agreement - said Miloš Bugarin, the President of the Chamber of Commerce of Serbia. Commenting on the Law on Protection of Domestic Production, which stipulates introduction of full duties on some agricultural-food products from Serbia and Croatia in Bosnia and Herzegovina, he said that that procedure undermined the foundations of CEFTA agreement.

- Such procedure is unacceptable. Export of agricultural-food products from Serbia to Bosnia and Herzegovina represents about 50% of overall agrarian export, which amounts to about 230m USD on annual basis. Application of that Law would significantly reduce export because the products from European Union would automatically become more competitive - said Bugarin.

He added that the adoption of the Law would also increase the pressure on local manufacturers to introduce counter measures, which could additionally endanger the principles of CEFTA agreement.

Bugarin concluded that such problems were to be resolved through bilateral agreement, and not by one-sided decision-making and violation of international agreements.

Which duties are to be paid

According to the new Law, Bosnia and Herzegovina introduces duties on import of beef, pork, mutton and horse meat, milk and sour cream, yogurt, whey, butter, cheese, eggs, honey, mollusks, raw and canned fish and meat products, vegetables, fruits, juices, yeast, spices, soup, ice cream, beer, wine, spirits, vinegar and water.