1. CENTRE OF PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT SERVICES OF SOUTHEAST EUROPEAN COUNTRIES (CPESSEC)

On the basis of co-operation launched at an earlier stage among employment services/agencies of Southeast European countries, and the initiative towards its institutionalization, the first ’Conference of National Labour and Employment Services/Agencies fo the Western Balkan Countries’ was held in October 2006 in Sofia, Bulgaria.  The Conference was attended by representatives of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia and Turkey who signed on that occassion the ’Partnership Protocol’ with a view to establishing the ’Balkan Centre’.   The next step within this co-operation was made on 31 May 2007 in Belgrade, Serbia, when Directors-General of employment services/agencies of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia and Turkey signed the ’Guidelines for Operation of the Centre of Public Employment Services of Southeast European Countries’. The starting ground for establishment of the Centre was similarity of economic structures, labour market trends and necessity to boost employment and reduce unemployment.  By signing this document, these institutions have also pledged to respect recommendations and conventions of the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Statutes of the World Association of Public Employment Services (WAPES).  According to the agreed schedule,  Bosnia and Herzegovina presided over the CPESSEC in 2009 organizing two managerial and two expert conferences on the topic of labour market.

Under the presidency of the Agency, the Fourth Managerial and the Third Expert Conferences of Public Employment Services of Southeast European Countries were held in April 2009 in Sarajevo.  The Fourth Managerial Conference discussed two topics: ’The Role of Public Employment Services in the Context of the Global Economic Crisis’ and ’Information Systems at the Service of Labour Market – Austrian Experiences’.  The Third Expert Conference presented the ’Compilation of Statistical Bulletin No. 2 and Exchange of Statistics by means of Unified Templates’.   The Fifth CPESSEC Managerial Conference, hosted by the Agency, was held in November 2009, concurrently with the Fourth Expert Conference of Southeast European PES.  Besides representatives of the host organization and entity-level institutions, the Confereces were attended by representatives of Southeast European PES, members of the Centre.  On the basis of the input submitted by individual members of the Centre in 2009, the Agency  consolidated all the data and published the Statistical Bulletin No. 2 which is available on the CPESSEC Website (www.cpessec.org) in official languages of BiH and English.

The Fifth CPESSEC Managerial Conference, hosted by the Labour and Employment Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, was held on 26 November 2009 in the BiH Parliamentary Assembly Building in Sarajevo.  The Conference topic was related to the evaluation of the efficiency of the LM measures in the context of the global economic crisis.  After deliberations and discusion the Conference adopted the following conclusions:

1. The CPESSEC presidency in 2010 will be taken over by the Employment Agency of Bulgaria.
2. The next Managerial Conference, to be organized by the Employment Agency of Bulgaria end of March or beginning of April 2010, will take stock of experiences of the countries in the region in utilization of the EU funds in the field of labour market.
3. The countries in the region should establish a closer cooperation in development of the EU funded projects targeting active labour market policies with a view to exchanging experiences among the respective countries.
4. In order to realize a more efficient implementation of provisions of bilateral agreements on social insurance pertinent to the field of unemployment, the next Managerial Conference will consider the possibility of using electronic exchange of data on insurance periods among the countries in the region.

The Fourth CPESSEC Expert Conference, held on the same day, discussed the indicators and situation in the field of gender equality in the labour market.
Following all presentations and discussion, participants to the Conference adopted the following conclusions: 

1. The Conference adopts the Report on Implemented Activities agreed in the Third Expert Conference related to publication of Statistical Bulletin No. 2 and the new link within the CPESSEC Website.           

2.   All CPESSEC member countries should further work on consistent implementation of existing laws with a view to preventing gender discrimination in employment process and employment relations and realizing rights stemming from work.
3.   Continue implementation of programs from active employment measures and secure necessary funds for their realization in order to increase participation of women in self-employment through business startups.
4.   Increase labour market competition of women, particularly of middle-aged women, through vocational training, retraining and skills-upgrading programs.
5.   Consider possibilities of mutual cooperation in applying for joint projects among the CPESSEC member countries related to gender sensitive issues in the field of employment which would be financed through IPA funds. 

1. WORLD ASSOCIATION OF PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT SERVICES (WAPES) The Labour and Employment Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina has been a WAPES member since 2005 and it has actively participated ever since in all the WAPES activities in accordance with the WAPES general objectives and legal competences and planned activities of the Agency.

The WAPES General Assembly and its 8th World Congress, held in May 2009 in Dubrovnik, were attended by the Agency’s representatives.  At the General Assembly elections, The Labour and Employment Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina was elected a WAPES Managing Board member.  The Managing Board, a WAPES decision-making body, consists of 16 representatives of public employment services elected among 100 members of this important world association.   The admission of the Labour and Employment Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the Managing Board of the most important association of public employment services at the global level is acknowledgment for all activities undertook by the Agency to date in improving the situation in the local and international labour markets.  At the same time, this duty taken by the Agency in difficult times of the world economic crisis obliges its staff to take up all future activities and plans with equal enthusiasm and commitment as before.
Among the most important WAPES events in 2009 was the Thematic Day on ‘Methods of Measuring Customer Satisfaction’ which was a platform for exchanging experiences on the methods used in working with PES services recipients.  
An Agency’s representative took part in a meeting of the WAPES Region Europe expert working group, held in September 2009 in Brussels.  By reviewing policies and working methods of public employment services, the working group was to prepare proposals for further WAPES activities and set priorities therein. 

1. On request made by the Council of Ministeres, the Agency made an analysis on ’How to Make BiH More Attractive for Foreign Investment – Labour Market Field’  with the purpose of implementing the conclusions of the 16th session of the House of Representatives of the BiH Parliamentary Assembly, held on 11 October 2007.

1. In cooperation with the Federal Employment Service, Employment Service of Republika Srpska and Employment Service of the Brčko District of BiH, the Agency compiled a list of workers – BiH nationals who had been employed in the Republic of Croatia and layed off in the 1991 – 1995 period.  The list was made in framework of ’The plan of measures to be taken in order to solve problems of BiH nationals who had been employed in the Republic of Croatia and layed off in the 1991 – 1995 period’ adopted by the Council of Ministers of BiH.  The list has been submitted to the Ministry of Civil Affairs for further action.

1. In cooperation with entity employment services and the Employment Service of the Brčko District of BiH, the Agency produced the ’Review of Employment Policies in BiH in 2008’. 

1. According to arrangements made for the Summer Jobs Programme in Germany between the German Federal Employment Agency and the Labour and Employment Agency of BiH, the approved quota for BiH students in 2009 was 250.  Out of 123 candidates eligible to participate in the program 70 received job offers in 2009.  The reason for such a small number of received job offers was low labour demand as the consequence of the global economic crisis which has severely hit the German labour market.

Most of the participants in the program worked in the area of Munich, largely employed as room-maids/room-boys, business premises cleaners and in auxiliary jobs in gastronomy and agriculture.    

1. The Cooperation Protocol on Employment of Workers from Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Republic of Croatia was signed in March 2009 in Zenica.   The Protocol was signed by the Labour and Employment Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Employment Service of the Zenica-Doboj Canton and the shipyard Uljanik from Pula, Croatia.  This Protocol sets out modalities of employment of the workers from Bosnia and Herzegovina in the above company and terms, conditions and duration of employment, vocational profile, cooperation and communication modes among the signatories to the Protocol, as well as their rights and obligations.

By late 2009, the Protocol envisaged recruitment of about 50 workers (skilled welders and other skilled workers or persons with secondary educational attainment) required in the shipbuilding industry by the above employer.  The workers will undergo a preliminary training in Bosnia and Herzegovina, followed by a specialized one in the Republic of Croatia when they will be issued work and residence permits in the Republic of Croatia, as well as employment contracts.  The Protocol shall be open to accession by other employment services in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

1. In March 2009 the Chamber of Craft and Small Business of Slovenia and the Labour and Employment Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina signed the Memorandum of Cooperation.

1. In March 2009 Directors of the Labour and Employment Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Employment Service of Slovenia signed the Operational Protocol in Ljubljana which defines the implementation of provisions set out in the part of the Social Insurance Agreement between the Republic of Slovenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina related to the field of unemployment.  The Protocol also defines the implementation of the electronic exchange of data on insurance periods.  On invitation by the Employment Service of Slovenia and the Chamber of Craft and Small Business of Slovenia, the Agency’s representatives attended the opening of the 42nd International Craft Fair, held in September 2009 in Celje.  It was agreed on that occassion to accelerate the initiatives launched towards convergence of positions of the two countries’ commissions around the Agreement on Employment of BiH workers in the Republic of Slovenia.  

1. The Employment Agency of Montenegro organized a meeting of PES directors of Southeast European countries in February 2009 in Herceg Novi.  The Agency’s delegation took part in this meeting.  The topics of the meeting were ’Providing Services to Employers in the Context of the Economic Crisis’ and ’Activities in Integration of Hard-to-Employ Persons in the Context of the Economic Crisis’.

1. In January 2009, representatives of the Agency and the National Employment Service of Serbia held a meeting in Sarajevo which discussed improvement of measures for efficient implementation of the Social Insurance Agreement between the two countries defined by the Operational Protocol.  Under the Social Insurance Agreement the Agency received the total of 820 files from the National Employment Service of Serbia from 1 January to 31 December 2009.  The total of 658 files were processed and sent back to the National Employment Service of Serbia in the above period.  On invitation by the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy – Labour Inspectorate of the Rapublic of Serbia, an Agency’s representative took part in an expert consultation meeting on labour market trends in Southeast Eruopean countries, held in July 2009 in Belgrade and at Zlatibor. 

1. On invitation by the Employment Agency of the Republic of Bulgaria, an Agency’s delegation made an official visit to this institution in March 2009 in order to consider the modalities of establishing bilateral cooperation. In May 2009 another Agency’s delegation attended the international seminar ’Exchange of Good Practices and  Perspectives in Working with Vulnerable Groups in the Labour Market’, held in Sofia, Bulgaria.

1. In June 2009 the Turkish Employment Organization (IŞKUR) organized a study visit for an Agency’s delegation.  On this occassion, the Agency’s  representatives visited the IŞKUR Directorate General and its provincial office in Ankara, the Vocational Information Centre of the IŞKUR, Vocational Trainig Centre (TES) and the IŞKUR regional office in Istanbul.  It was agreed that the two institutions prepare and sign a Bilateral Cooperation Protocol which would govern cooperation in the field of vocational education of the unemployed and cooperation between the centres for vocational training, retraining and skills-upgrading. 

1. A joint expert team made of the representatives of the Federal Employment Service, Employment Service of Republika Srpska, Employment Service of the Brčko District of BiH and Labour and Employment Agency of BiH set up to produce the ‘2008 Employment Policies Review in Bosnia and Herzegovina’, made a proposal document in May 2009 which was sent to the Ministry of Civil Affairs after discussion and incorporated suggestions by the Agency’s Advisory Committee.   

1. 2009 Quarterly Reports on issued work permits to foreign nationals in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Proposal for annual work permit quotas in Bosnia and Herzegovina for 2010 – In cooperation with the Federal Employment Service, Employment Service of Republika Srpska and Employment Service of the Brčko District of BiH and Department of General and Administrative Affairs in the Government of the Brčko District of BiH, the Agency produced three quarterly reports on  work permits issued to foreign nationals in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2009 and submitted them to the Ministry of Civil Affairs.  The joint task group consisted of the rerpresentatives of the Federal Employment Service, Employment Service of Republika Srpska, Employment Service of the Brčko District of BiH and the Agency produced in September 2009 the Proposal of the annual quota of work permits in Bosnia and Herzegovina for 2010 and submitted it to the Ministry of Civil Affairs for further action.

1. Initiating and coordinating the organization of job fairs in BiH 

On 29 May 2009 the Employment Service of Republika Srpska organized a job fair in Bijeljina which gathered 73 employers from BiH and Serbia offering 516 job vacancies to the unemployed.   On 14 November 2009 another job fair was organized in Pale where 15 employers offered over 190 job vacancies largely related to the upcoming winter tourist season at Mount Jahorina.
On 16 December 2009 the Employment Service of the Sarajevo Canton organized a job fair in Sarajevo.  The fair was attended by 43 companies looking for 400 workers from different vocations.

1. BiH labour force demanded by foreign employers

In 2009 the Agency received 14 requests for recruitment of 129 workers which were forwarded to entity-level employment services and the Employment Service of the Brčko District of BiH to further realization.
- Republic of Slovenia – 9 requests – 108 workers needed  
- Republic of Croatia – 5 requests – 21 workers needed   

1. Reporting on issued work permits in Bosnia and Herzegovina in framework of meeting the requirements of the Visa Regime Liberalisation Road Map between BiH and the EU  

On request by the Ministry of Security and with a view to meeting the requirements of the Visa Regime Liberalisation Road Map, the Agency participated in drafting the part of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Migration Profile related to data on issued work permits to foreign nationals in BiH. Due to the fact that the issuance of work permits is under the jurisdiction of entity-level employment services and the Employment Service of the Brčko District of BiH, the Agency prepared the tables with issued work permits to foreign nationals in 2007 and 2008 in coordination with the above institutions.  The tables were classified by countries of origin and qualification structure and sent to the Ministry of security. 

1. On the basis of the conclusions adopted by the BiH Council of Ministers, the Agency crated a document titled ’Employment Analysis in the Institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina’ proposing therein the drafting of a pilot project ’Strengthening Capacity of the Civil Service Agency in the Field of Recruitment of Civil Servants’.  It also gave its position on the Performance Audit Report and made analysis of the employed in the Institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina with special reference to the total number of the employed, national structure and their qualification levels.

1. The Agency intitated the conclusion of the follownig employment agreements: 

-     ’The Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Slovenia and the BiH Council of Ministers on Temporary Employment of BiH Workers in the Republic of Slovenia’ – realization is underway;
-     ’The Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Croatia and the BiH Council of Ministers on Employment of BiH workers in the Republic of Croatia' – realization is underway; 
-     ’The Agreement between the BiH Council of Ministers and the Government of the Republic of Serbia on Temporary Employment of BiH Nationals in the Republic of Serbia and of the nationals of the Republic of Serbia in Bosnia and Herzegovina’ – realization is underway.