Minister for European Integration of Serbia and national IPA coordinator Tanja Miščević signed today in Zlatibor the Financial Agreement for IPA III financial perspective 2021-2027 for the Program Cross-border Cooperation between Serbia and Montenegro in the amount of 8.4 million euros. The agreement was signed on behalf of the EU by the EU ambassador to Serbia, Emanuele Giaufret, while on behalf of Montenegro, the state secretary in the Ministry of European Affairs of Montenegro and national IPA coordinator Milena Žižić signed the agreement.
During the signing of the agreement, Miščević said that it is very important to continue cross-border cooperation projects, colloquially called “small IPA”.
“Because we are talking about much smaller funds, but an immeasurably large impact. These projects that Serbia has with its neighbors have so far benefited hundreds of thousands of citizens of the Republic of Serbia, including the same number of people from across the border. Together, we can do much better and more efficiently than closing ourselves in national borders and not seeing that if we throw the waste over the fence, it will come back to us in some way”, said Miščević.
She added that it is in everyone’s interest for the projects to be effective.
“It is an indicator of the partnership that the states have with the EU, it is not only a matter of our European path and membership, it is a partnership that goes beyond the partnership negotiations themselves. Within the Cross-border Cooperation Programme with Montenegro, 12.6 million have been contracted so far, and 23 million with BiH, with priorities in health care, tourism, social inclusion, social work and protection of cultural assets”, stated Miščević.
Giaufret said that good neighborly relations and cooperation lie at the heart of European projects, and that cross-border cooperation projects lead to better cooperation between regions.
“Among the projects that will be implemented are projects related to employment, social law, public health, tourist offers and nurturing the rich cultural heritage of the two regions,” said Giaufret during the signing of the agreement. He said that he hopes that after this signed agreement, the Serbia-BiH agreement will be signed soon.
“These Programs serve as a beacon of hope and progress in these regions, strengthen the ties that exist between neighboring nations and serve as an indicator of the EU’s commitment to a prosperous and peaceful Europe, which represents the destination and path of all these countries,” said Giaufret.
Žižić reminded her that the Cross-border cooperation between Serbia and Montenegro dates back to 2008 and that so far, through six Calls for proposals, 62 projects worth more than 13 million euros have been contracted. The projects were implemented in the fields of culture, health, economic cooperation, social inclusion and employment, environmental protection, adaptation to climate change and the development of tourism potential, and aimed at improving the quality of life of people in the municipalities in the north of Montenegro, as well as in Raški, Zlatiborski and Moravički districts in Serbia.
“The cross-border cooperation Programme for the period 2014-2020 contributes to the economic, social and territorial development of the area by encouraging integration, joint development and the use of potential and opportunities in order to make this region attractive for life and work, which is achieved through the 26 projects contracted so far in within the financial perspective of IPA II”, said Žižić.
She stated that the third Call for proposals was open for the area of increasing employment, improving waste management and wastewater treatment and improving capacity for using tourist potentials and that its value is 3.41 million euros, and that 10 projects were contracted. Žižić said that the projects of the last 15 years have contributed to the development of the area and the overall cooperation between Serbia and Montenegro, and she expressed satisfaction with the continuation of cooperation through the next IPA III Programme from 2021-2027, which will be focused on two specific goals related to improving the quality of public, health and social services for the inclusion of marginalized groups in the border area.
After the signing, grants were awarded within the Third Call for project proposals within the IPA II Financial perspective 2014-2020 for two Cross-border cooperation programmes: Serbia – Montenegro and Serbia – Bosnia and Herzegovina. Twenty-three contracts worth 6.6 million euros were awarded, which will contribute to the development and improvement of health services, social inclusion, tourism and tourist infrastructure, economic development, entrepreneurship, promotion of biodiversity, improvement of entrepreneurial skills and opportunities of vulnerable groups and young people in these cross-border areas.
