Decision on the adoption of the Strategy for harmonizing the regulations of Bosnia and Herzegovina with the legal acquisition of the European Union in the field of environmental protection of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

This Strategy for harmonization of the regulations of Bosnia and Herzegovina with the acquis of the European Union in the field of the environment of Bosnia and Herzegovina is officially adopted by this Decision.
Joining BiH to the European Union is a goal to which BiH formally committed itself by signing the Stabilization and Association Agreement in 2008. In accordance with the Copenhagen and Madrid criteria of the EU, in countries aspiring to join the EU, harmonization of regulations represents a single obligation. The harmonization process represents the harmonization of all regulations, rules and procedures applied in the accession country with the acquis of the EU (regulations, directives, decisions, etc.). The main goal of this Strategy is the strategic planning of the harmonization process, which will create conditions for the improvement of environmental protection and support sustainable development. The process of harmonizing regulations essentially consists of the adoption of European Union (EU) regulations in the field of environmental protection into BiH regulations and their implementation within BiH. Implementation will require the development of sub-strategies and plans to identify the necessary resources and how they can be activated in order to carry out successful implementations of the EU acquis. The Strategy covers various aspects in eight sub-sectors of the EU acquis relating to environmental protection. The sub-sectors are as follows: horizontal (common) issues; water management; waste management; air quality and climate change; industrial pollution; chemicals; nature protection; noise in the environment. Horizontal regulations within the EU acquis in the field of environmental protection are part of environmental regulations that set basic rules that apply to the entire environmental protection sector, regardless of the medium to which they refer in a given case. Unlike horizontal regulations, other sectors of the EU acquis in the field of environmental protection refer to clearly defined media (such as water, air). Horizontal regulations provide a binding platform and requirements for: issues related to environmental protection in the development of certain public and private projects; issues related to environmental protection in the development of certain plans and programs; ensuring free public access to environmental information; ensuring public participation in environmental decision-making; ensuring access to justice in environmental issues; establishing a system of legal responsibility for the environment, with the aim of preventing and eliminating environmental damage; establishment and functioning of infrastructure for spatial planning information; establishing a system for reporting on the environment according to the EU.