The EU Delegation to Serbia has in the past 15 years approved EUR400 million worth of projects implemented by local self-governments, and a couple of weeks ago we launched a new EUR25 million worth EU PRO programme which is participated in by 99 municipalities south of Belgrade, said the Head of the EU Delegation Ambassador Sem Fabrizi.

At the meeting with members of the Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities (SCTM), Fabrizi described the dialogue with local self-governments as important owing to the fact that nearly 70 per cent of EU acquis will be implemented at the municipal level.

According to him, the SCTM has identified 21 out of 35 chapters that deal with local self-governments.

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As he presented the key EU documents adopted in the past five months, Fabrizi said that the Enlargement Strategy explicitly stated that further enlargement to the Balkans remains a clear goal of the Union.

“We need this region in order to make it part of the solution, not the problem. We want to export stability, not to import instability,” Fabrizi said.

EU Ambassador said that the main elements of the Strategy are the rule of law, democracy, the media, human rights, cooperation with CSOs, strengthening of economy, reconciliation and normalisation of relations with neighbours.

“Serbia has so far opened 12 chapters. There’s a forthcoming meeting in Brussels to discuss opening of new chapters, although, the point is not to open, but to close them,” Fabrizi said.

“Chapters are a tool, a mechanism for reform implementation,” said Head of the EU Delegation.

Deputy Ambassador of Sweden Joachim Wearn said his country was committed to Serbia’s EU path, above all to the issues of rule of law, fight against corruption, gender equality, etc.

“We will remain committed to Serbia as long as it remains committed to reform, the rule of law and the media,” said Wearn, adding that local self-governments’ capacity should be enhanced and EU acquis implemented.

When it comes to media, Wearn said that problems at the central and local level were the same; what is needed is more transparency and pluralism.

SCTM President/Mayor of Sombor Dusanka Golubovic said that SCTM members must be brought closer to EU policies and legislation.

“Local self-governments are not recognised as drivers of the European integration process. However, making amendments to the national legislation leads to local-level regulations being changed and harmonised in the spirit of reform and European integration,” she said.

We are following the situation regarding the five municipalities which have filed discrimination complaints with the Council of Europe, said Fabrizi and Wearn. SCTM President said no one contacted the SCTM regarding the matter.

Local self-governments headed by opposition parties complained about the pressure put on them by the ruling Serbian Progressive Party. This issue will be on the agenda of 28 June Committee for Monitoring of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the CoE in Turkey, the President of the Committee Leendert Verbeek told Radio Free Europe.

Fabrizi said he read about it in Serbian media, describing the issue as a grave one as it found itself under the scrutiny of an important institution such as the Council of Europe.

“I cannot comment on this, but I can say that we will monitor the developments closely and see what the CoE will conclude,” Fabrizi told the reporters ahead of his meeting with SCTM representatives.

Deputy Ambassador of Sweden Wearn said he was familiar with the issue and was following the situation in the municipalities of Paracin, Sabac and Cajetina.