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

Belgrade, 30 September 2018

More than nine and a half million Euros for 77 new infrastructure projects

The European Union (EU) will, through the EU PRO development programme, support the implementation of 77 new infrastructure projects with 9.6 million Euros, it has been decided at the Programme Steering Committee meeting held in Belgrade. The projects will contribute to new investments and job creation with the ultimate goal of improving the quality of life of people in 99 local self-governments[1] in Serbia.

The approved support among other projects encompasses the funding of 37 local infrastructure projects, with total value of 6.1 million Euros, of which the EU provides 4.5 million Euros, which includes construction and reconstruction of public facilities, education, health and social care facilities, sports and culture centres as well as improving communal infrastructure. The European Union in this way will directly contribute to enhanced quality of life of people living in the two regions, the region of Šumadija and Western Serbian and the region of Southern and Eastern Serbia, while the local self-governments will cofound the projects with 1.6 million Euros.  The list of the approved projects aimed at improving public infrastructure is available here

"The Government of Serbia has been investing efforts to improve the conditions for sustainable economic and social development of the country. In this regard, the European Union will support the projects in less developed and underdeveloped local self-governments in Serbia with the view to promoting sustainable regional development and additionally familiarising local actors with the possibilities offered through the European programmes and funds, "said Jadranka Joksimović, Minister of European Integration.

The Steering Committee has also approved financing of nine projects (the list available here) aimed to improve economic infrastructure that will include infrastructure equipping of industrial zones and improving tourism infrastructure. The European Union will invest 4.5 million Euros in these projects that should contribute to creating conducive business environment for economic growth and opening new jobs, while the local self-governments will participate in the implementation with 905.392 Euros.

„The European Union through the EU PRO programme supports more balanced development of Serbia and invests in the projects focused on the economic growth in the local communities and better standard of living of each citizen as well. Therefore, the main aim of the  approved projects is attracting investments, job creation and improvement of the public infrastructure that has direct positive effects on the quality of life of local population“, the Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Serbia, Ambassador Sem Fabrizi said.

The EU in close cooperation with the Government of Serbia will also support the local self-governments in their efforts to enhance investment potential through development of project-technical documentation for economic infrastructure. The twelve projects (the list of projects available here), supported by the EU with 274,695 Euros, will provide technical preconditions for infrastructural equipping of the industrial zones, development of technological parks, business incubators and congress centres.

With the same goal, the European Union will fund with 255.274 the development of detailed regulation plans in 19 cities and municipalities involved in the implementation of EU PRO. The planning documentation covers the areas that have the potential to generate economic activity, mainly greenfield and brownfield locations, tourist areas and protected cultural and natural assets. The list of the approved projects is available here

„There are a number of projects ahead of us to be implemented, and therefore I would like to encourage local self-governments to take on both the implementation of the approved projects and preparation of new ones in line with the needs of the population and development priorities”, Graeme Tyndall, EU PRO Programme Manager said.

The EU PRO Steering Committee has also approved the criteria for the Public Call for the Introduction and Development of Geographic Information Systems, and the Call for Proposals for the provision of grants to civil society organisations (CSOs) aiming to improve social cohesion in multi-ethnic municipalities in the region of Šumadija and Western Serbia and the region of Southern and Eastern Serbia. These two calls will be published during October 2018.

 

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