With the message that the development of local self-government in Serbia is accelerated with the support of the European Union, which has thus far invested approximately EUR 200 million to this end, the EU Opportunity Week has ended today in Niš. Numerous panels dedicated to local development and the environment presented the opportunities available to Serbian citizens within Cross-Border and Transnational projects, which are largely funded by the European Union through grants, and whose aim is to improve the quality of life of local populace.
The Assistant to the Minister of Public Administration and Local Self-Government in the Sector for European Integration and International Cooperation, Mila Stanković, has pointed out that the greatest progress was recorded in the area of service provision, noting that intensive work is being performed in order to strengthen other capacities of Local Self-Government Units.
She has stressed that more than 70 percent of European legislation is implemented at the local level, and that local self-governments often face major financial challenges.
Stanković has announced that by the end of the year, a total of 55 One-Stop-Shops shall be opened in cities and municipalities throughout Serbia, which shall greatly contribute to saving time and money for citizens, who will be able to exercise all their rights before public administration bodies in one place.
During the last day of the EU Opportunity Week in Niš, the Minister of European Integration in the Government of the Republic of Serbia, Tanja Miščević, Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs of North Macedonia, Bojan Maričić, and Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia, Emanuele Giaufret, have signed a trilateral financial agreement for the Cross-Border Cooperation Programme between Serbia and North Macedonia for the period from 2021-2027, which shall directly benefit 850 thousand citizens of both countries. The total value of the Agreement is EUR 9.7 million, of which the funds of the European Union through IPA funds amount to EUR 8.4 million, while the first tranche amounts to EUR 3.6 million.
The EU Opportunity Week is a series of events which provide the citizens of Serbia with an opportunity to find out, for the first time ever, everything they are interested in about the available funds in one place and take advantage of the opportunities to realize their ideas. Sessions and debates were held in three cities: Belgrade, Niš and Novi Sad and covered various areas – economy, business, education, youth, sports, culture, media, civil society, local development, green transition, and agriculture.