As potential candidate countries, Serbia and Montenegro have access to European union funds through Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA). This Instrument provides legal basis for financial assistance to candidate coutries and potential candidate countries in their efforts to improve political, economic and institutional reforms with purpose of joining the European Union. Cross-border Programme Serbia-Montenegro is financed from Component II of Instrument for Pre-Accession assistance and helps improve cross-border cooperation between two beneficiary countries.Since publication of Call for proposals is expected and knowing that one of the most important conditions for projects to be eligible is involvement of at least two applicants acting in partnership from each participating country, Joint Technical Secretariat for Cross-border Programme Serbia-Montenegro in cooperation with Secretariat for European Integration from Montenegro and Ministry of Finance from Serbia has organized Partner Search Forum.
Date: June, 06th 2009 Location : great hall, Culture centre, Hotel Bijela Rada, Bijelo Polje Time : 11:00 – 16:00 Participants Montenegro 75 registered participants;
• Secretariat for European Integration, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Tourism and Environmental Protection, Directorate for SME Development, National Employment Office, Trade Union Association;
• Local authorities of: Bijelo Polje, Berane, Andrijevica, Plav, Pljevlja, Žabljak, Mojkovac, Danilovgrad and Plužine;
• Public bodies and enterprises, non-governmental organizations, citizens’ associations, educational and research organizations, organizations and associations from tourism, culture and sport and other organizations. Serbia 52 registered participants
• Ministry of Finance of Republic of Serbia;• Local authorities of: Novi Pazar, Nova Varoš, Čajetina, Sjenica,Kraljevo, Vrnjačka Banja, Tutin , Priboj, Prijepolje and Užice;
• Public bodies and enterprises, non-governmental organizations, citizens’ associations, educational and research organizations, organizations and associations from tourism, culture and sport and other organizations.
Welcome speech for Forum participants was held by Chief Administrator of Bijelo Polje municipality, Radovan Obradović; Introductory speech was held by Tijana Ljiljanić in the name of Secretariat for European Integration of Montenegro; Introductory speech was held by Jaroslava Božanić in the name of Ministry of Finance of Serbia;
Presentation of Cross-border programmes in Montenegro was given by Tijana Ljiljanić (Programme coordinator, Secretariat for European Integration, Government of Montenegro). Partnership principles, standard form of Guidelines for Applicants and contents of the Application package were presented by Denis Slatina, Head of Joint Technical Secretariat for Cross-border Programme Serbia-Montenegro; Partner Search Forum methodology and concept were explained by Goran Prebiračević from Antenna office from Bijelo Polje of Joint Technical Secretariat.
Working session- the purpose of the Forum was to allow direct communication between potential applicants from Serbia and Montenegro in order to foster building cross-border partnerships. The second part of the Forum, organized in Bijela Rada hotel, was made as a discussion within work in the following groups: group A – Economic development; group B – Social development; group C – Environmental protection.
Participants introduced themselves and presented their project ideas within the work groups facilitated by Joint Technical Secretariat officers. After a break, participants were given the opportunity tu discuss their project ideas individually with potential partners for joint applications for first Call for Proposals for Cross-border Programme Serbia-Montenegro.
