A concession in essence constitutes the granting of a right to use certain natural resources or public goods, which the state authorities awarded to a domestic or foreign entity (under the laws in Bosnia and Herzegovina – a legal entity) under certain conditions and for a certain period of time.

Concessions as a form of investment had already existed in the times of the Ancient Roman Empire, while the granting of concessions has become very important and ever more present with the establishment and the development of modern capitalist economic system. Among the most demanding projects, technically and financially, that were implemented through concessions granting were the Tunnel under the English Channel, the Suez Canal, the Panama Canal, a network of highways in Spain, etc.

Modern processes of globalization and internationalization of domestic economies, as well as creating preconditions for the strengthening of the trends of regional integrations and economic integration into the European Union have made the need for massive capital infrastructure investments ever more pronounced, in particular in the sphere of transportation, energy supply, communications, water management, etc. It is evident that the implementation of such projects requires major investment resources, which most countries do not have, in particular those less developed or those undergoing a transition process. This is why these countries expressively need to engage foreign capital in order to implement the goals and the interests mentioned.