EU PRO Programme funded by the European Union and the Republic of Serbia
  • Republic of Serbia
  • UNOPS

Belgrade, 26 April 2018

A New European Union programme for local development

First public calls annouced – ten million Euros for infrastructre development

The EU PRO Development Programme has published four public calls for proposals for improvement of infrastructure in 99 local self-governments[1] in the regions of Šumadije and Western Serbia and Southern and Eastern Serbia for which the European Union (EU) allocated ten million Euros. The local self-governments through these public calls will have the opportunity to design and implement projects related to the improvement of public and economic infrastructure, as well as to the development of planning and technical documentation.

Through the Call for Improvement of Public Infrastructure, the European Union will support the construction and reconstruction of public buildings, education, health and social care facilities with more than 5,2 million Euros thus directly contributing to enhancing quality of life of people.

Additionally, the local self-governments by applying for the Call for Economic Infrastructure projects, worth 3,7 million Euros, will have the opportunity to attract new investments through equipping of industrial zones, technological parks, or tourism destinations, which will in the long term contribute to economic growth and job creation. 

The Public call for Financing Development of Execution Designs for Economic Infrastructure, in the amount of 300,000 Euros, which will improve the conditions for infrastructure equipping of locations for the realization of new investments, will be open for one year. Through the Public Call for Development of Planning Documentation, the donor allocated 750,000 Euros to support projects reated to development of detailed regulation plans covering areas that have the potential to generate economic activity.

These are the first activities of the EU PRO programme, through which the EU will, in the next three years, support local development with 25 million Euros, while  the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) in partnership with the Government of the Republic of Serbia will be respinsible for the programme implementation. EU PRO should primarily contribute to the economic development of the encompassed cities and municipalities through developing social and business infrastructure and increasing competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises. The programme also includes interventions that should contribute to improved spatial management, while part of the programme activities will be aimed at improving the social inclusion of the most vulnerable groups.

 “The European Union, through the EU PRO programme and published calls, confirms its commitment to support Serbia and more balanced regional development, with a special focus on improving competitiveness of local self-governments. We recognize the need to increase investment in public and business infrastructure at the local level because it directly affects the quality and standard of living of the population. And this is actually our goal, better life of Serbian citizen", the Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia, Ambassador Sem Fabrizi.

 "Through the realisation of projects, local governments will have the opportunity to enhance their knowledge and skills useful for implementing future donor-funded, primarily, the EU funded, projects. Additionally, strengthening local self-governments is an important segment of the overall economic development of the country", Graeme Tydall, EU PRO Programme Manager said.

EU PRO will organise the info sessions to present the requirements of the calls and application procedures for the interested applicants from 8 to 18 May 2018, while the more detailed information on the calls and the venues and dates of the sessions will be published in the upcoming days. 

More information about the Calls for Proposals and all the application documentation are available on EU PRO Public Calls.

 

[1] Aleksandrovac, Aleksinac, Aranđelovac, Arilje, Babušnica, Bajina Bašta, Batočina, Bela Palanka, Blace, Bojnik, Boljevac, Bor, Bosilegrad, Brus, Bujanovac, Čačak, Ćićevac, Despotovac, Dimitrovgrad, Gadžin Han, Golubac,  Ivanjica, Jagodina, Knić, Knjaževac,  Koceljeva, Kosjerić, Kragujevac, Kraljevo, Kruševac, Kučevo, Kuršumlija, Lajkovac, Lapovo, Lebane, Leskovac, Loznica, Lučani, Ljig, Ljubovija, Majdanpek, Mali Zvornik, Malo Crniće, Merošina, Mionica, Negotin, Niš, Nova Varoš, Novi Pazar, Osečina, Paraćin, Petrovac na Mlavi, Pirot, Požarevac, Požega, Priboj, Prijepolje, Prokuplje, Raška, Ražanj, Rekovac, Smederevo, Smederevska Palanka, Sokobanja, Surdulica, Svilajnac, Svrljig, Šabac, Topola, Trgovište, Trstenik, Tutin, Ub, Užice,  Valjevo, Varvarin, Velika Plana, Veliko Gradište, Vladičin Han, Vlasotince, Vrnjačka Banja, Zaječar, Žabari,  Žagubica, Žitorađa, Bogatić, Crna Trava, Čajetina, Ćuprija, Doljevac, Gornji Milanovac, Kladovo, Krupanj, Medveđa, Preševo, Rača, Sjenica, Vladimirci and Vranje.