Environmental protection Strategy of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (2008-2018).

This Environmental protection Strategy of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina for the period form 2008 until 2018 prescribes general strategic issues regrading the environmental protection including nature, water, soil, air and waste management sectors and related objectives, action plans and designated aims. The components of the Federal Environmental Protection Strategy are: Federal nature protection strategy; Federal air protection strategy; Federal Waste Management Strategy; Federal strategy for water protection, i.e. water management, which is being developed in a separate document. Necessary measures that the state should take with the aim of development of environmental policy and faster progress towards full membership in the EU are as follows: establish adequate capacities at the state level (especially with a view to implementation of international environmental treaties) and enact the necessary laws at the state level; access the Kyoto Protocol, as this would allow foreign investment in the increase energy efficiency, i.ee the use of renewable energy; strengthen environmental capacities in entity ministries, especially inspection ministries services; carry out general implementation of environmental standards and criteria based on the strategy Voluntary semi-membership , which would be the optimal basis for institutional development relations, not only in the environmental sector; carry out preliminary legal and economic analyzes in order to accede to the conventions and protocols that BiH has not acceded to, and regulate their implementation on relations between state entities/cantons; work on the formation of an environmentally responsible market in BiH (sending signals to actors in economy that they need to behave environmentally friendly, the introduction of state programmes and environmental and economic incentives).
Main strategic objectives defined in this Strategy are as follows: improving the legal framework through approximation to European Union environmental standards, in order to achieve the protection of human health and of environment and sustainable environmental management; decentralized and efficient environmental administration able to respond to European Union membership requirements; protection of biodiversity and geodiversity of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina through establishment and strengthening of institutional framework for implementation of effective measures; sustainable use of natural resources; equal distribution of profits from natural resources (biological and geological diversity); reduction of pressures on biological and geological diversity of the federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina; establishment of financial mechanisms for sustainable management of biological and geological diversity; creation of basis for a harmonious and spatially balanced socio-economic development of land (soil protection); minimizing/removing risks to human health, biodiversity, natural and building heritage; sensitizing and strengthening the capacity of local and expert community; limitation of emissions into the air; air quality management; improving energy use; waste management.