A two day conference “Representing the interests of local and regional authorities at the European level”, intended for members and deputy members of the Serbian party in the Joint Consultative Committee of the EU Committee of Regions and the Republic of Serbia, began in Sokobanja today.
On behalf of the Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Government, the meeting was addressed by State Secretary Čedomir Rakić, who expressed his belief that the exchange of ideas and experiences concerning the operation of local and regional authorities in Serbia with the European partners would result in a better and more productive participation of the Serbian party in the JCC.
He noted that the first JCC meeting with the new membership, which had been held in June this year, had been highly praised by the Secretariat of the Committee of Regions in Brussels.
“I am convinced that the next meeting, which will be hosted by Serbia this autumn, will be highly productive and will bring us one step closer to our shared goal, which is our country’s membership in the European Union”, Mr. Rakić said.
The workshop is implemented by the Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities, as part of the programme “Support to Local Self-Governments in Serbia on the Road to EU Accession – Second Stage”, which is financed the Swedish Government. The workshop aims to introduce the JCC members and deputy members to the operations and powers of local and regional self-governments in the European Union, the role of local and provincial self-governments in the EU integration process and the functioning arrangements of the EU Committee of Regions and the Joint Consultative Committee, with a separate segment focusing on representation at the European level.