EUROPEAN SUPPORT FOR NEW DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS IN SOUTH SERBIA

Novi Pazar - The European Union and the Swiss Government will, through the European Progress program, provide five and a half million euros for the projects in the area of ​​improving healthcare, economic empowerment and informed development planning.

It was decided at the seventh meeting of the Managing Board of the European Progress program to provide 1, 027, 240 euros for the introduction and development of geographic information systems in 12 local self-governments in the southeast and southwest Serbia, as well as 368, 000 euros to support 48 projects in the sphere of women's entrepreneurship. 

It was also decided at the meeting to approve the torrential flood protection project, which includes the execution of anti-erosion protection works in the basins of the Raska and Pusta rivers and the development of designs for the execution of works in the basins of the Vlasina, Josanica and Pcinja rivers, while the donors would earmark 745,000 euros for the implementation of the entire project.

The Managing Board also agreed with the criteria for allocating financial assistance to agricultural associations and cooperatives.  The beneficiaries will be selected through a public call, while the financial support will include a study trip to a European country and the funding of up to five projects of cooperatives or associations, which may, inter alia, include small construction works and purchase of the equipment.

Speaking of the progress made, Isabel Peric, Director of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation in Serbia, said that the credit for the successful operation of the European Progress program should be given to the Swiss model of project implementation, which involved close cooperation between local and national bodies in finding solutions that directly met the real needs of the local population.

Graeme Tyndall, the Manager of the European Progress program, pointed out that the results were already visible at that time, halfway through the implementation of the program.

“The approval of over one hundred proposed projects will provide an impetus to the development of local economies, while the communities should, in the coming period, channel their efforts to the undertaking of activities in the field of good governance," said Mr. Tyndall.   

The attendees were acquainted with the progress of the project for the improvement of gender equality which is, as part of the European Progress program, conducted by the UN Entity for Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women (UN Women). The key results mentioned at the meeting include the signing of the European Charter for Equality of Women and Men by 26 local self-governments and successful work on the introduction of gender budgeting in eight municipalities.

The Managing Board confirmed its principal decision, which had been made at the previous meeting, on approving the projects for the completion of construction of the new surgical block of the city hospital in Vranje and of building and equipping a facility for the emergency department of the Health Center in Novi Pazar.  The Vranje project should enable better health care for 300, 000 residents of Pcinj and Pomoravlje districts. The European Union will provide 2,805,000 euros for the investment, with an estimated participation of the Government of the Republic of Serbia and the City of Vranje of 1, 765, 000 euros.   The Novi Pazar emergency service will provide medical treatment to 55,000 persons per year, whereas the investment was estimated at 920,000 euros, of which the EU will provide 622,880 euros. Those two projects will be implemented by the Department for Contracting and Financing the EU Funded Programs, which operates within the Ministry of Finance. The quarterly report for the period between July and September 2015 was also presented at the meeting and it was emphasized that eight public calls had been conducted since the beginning of implementation of the Program, 103 projects had been approved and the first five projects had been completed.

Activities of the European Progress, the program contributing to sustainable development of the southern and southwestern Serbia, will be supported by the European Union and the Government of Switzerland with a total of 24.46 million euros. The program aims to boost local administrations, create a more favorable environment for the development of infrastructure and the economy and also to improve policy implementation in the field of social inclusion. Field activities are implemented by the United Nations Office for Project Services – UNOPS.

The municipalities included in the program are the following: Novi Pazar, Ivanjica, Nova Varos, Priboj, Prijepolje, Raska, Sjenica and Tutin in the Southwest of Serbia, as well as Prokuplje, Blace, Zitoradja, Kursumlija, Leskovac, Bojnik, Vlasotince, Lebane, Medvedja, Crna Trava, Vranje, Bosilegrad, Bujanovac, Vladicin Han, Presevo, Surdulica, Trgoviste, Brus, Aleksinac, Gadzin Han, Doljevac, Merosina, Svrljig, Babusnica, Bela Palanka and Knjazevac in the southeastern part of the country.

Source: European Progress and Coordination Body