Additional EUR 24 million from Europe for development of the southeast and southwest of Serbia

The European Union and the governments of Switzerland and Serbia will set aside minimum 24.6 million euro over the next 3.5 years to support the development of 34 local self-governments in the southeast and southwest of Serbia under the European Progress program. An agreement to give grants was signed Wednesday by Serbian Minister of European Integration Jadranka Joksimovic, EU Ambassador to Serbia Michael Davenport, Isabel Perich, the director of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation in Serbia, and Bruce McCarron, the regional director of the UNOPS Asia, Middle East, Europe & Oceania Office.

The European PROGRESS program, which starts after the successfully completed EU PROGRES, aims to help the Government of the Republic of Serbia in the EU integration process and back a balanced social and economic development.

For the implementation of European PROGRESS, the European Union sets aside EUR 19.6 million, the Swiss government gives EUR 4.86 million, while the Serbian government will co-finance individual projects through competent ministries and local self-governments. Of the total amount, 8 million euro is earmarked for top-priority infrastructure projects that will be implemented through the EU Central Finance and Contracts Unit (CFCU). The European Integration Office of the Republic of Serbia provides strategic guidelines, and the program is being implemented by the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and the Government of the Republic of Serbia.

The program covers 34 local self-governments – 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 southeast of the country.