The European Union provides support for more balanced local development by improving living conditions in cities and municipalities throughout Serbia. With EU grants, the conditions for practising sports, recreation, and tourism are improved, as Nicola Bertolini, Head of Cooperation of the EU Delegation, witnessed during his working visit to Ćićevac and Zaječar.
The Municipality of Ćićevac, with EU grants of 76,000 Euros built a multi-functional playground with a field for football, handball, volleyball and basketball, while children’s playing equipment was also installed.
“With the EU support, the municipality of Ćićevac now has a modernly equipped and safe playground and a gathering place for children and youth as well as the elderly. We are committed to contribute to equal living conditions in all places in Serbia, while focusing special attention on better conditions for children to grow up, because they are our future”, said Nicola Bertolini.
In Zaječar, Bertolini was introduced to a new project worth over one million euros, which the City will implement with the support of the European Union. This comprehensive endeavour, to be carried out through the EU PRO Plus programme, aims to enhance sustainable tourism in the Zaječar district. Strategic infrastructure projects will be implemented in Zaječar, Knjaževac, Sokobanja, and Boljevac, contributing to the development and promotion of the region’s tourism potential.
“The City of Zaječar and local self-governments from the district have developed a territorial development strategy as a strategic document for future sustainable development. The project that resulted from the strategy should, through the joint work of all local partners, contribute to activating the potential of the entire territory and creating a richer tourist offer. What is important is that particular attention will be given to the environment protection and the promotion of local cultural heritage,” said Nicola Bertolini, Head of Cooperation of the EU Delegation.
The project implies the construction and equipping of the Youth Camp in Kraljevica in Zaječar, the further development of the Sports-recreational and health-rehabilitation centre “Banjica” in Knjaževac and works at Bovansko Lake in Sokobanja, including the purchase of electric power boats, while in Rtanj they will build trim tracks, procure electric scooters and mountain bikes and install tourist signage in Boljevac.
In Zaječar, the European Union also supports civil sector initiatives. TOC – Association for the Development of Sustainable Communities, with EU support, has implemented a project aimed at improving social protection by establishing community fieldwork services. Through this project, trained teams have provided support to over 120 users from Zaječar and surrounding villages, directing them to relevant institutions that can assist in solving their problems.
During his stay in Zaječar, together with the Assistant Minister of Tourism and Youth, Ivana Antonijević, Bertolini talked to the young people who presented how, with the support of the German Development Cooperation and the Ministry of Tourism and Youth, they improved local communities in accordance with the needs of young people. The project is implemented in the villages of 11 districts, with the aim of improving economic, social and cultural opportunities for young people from 15 to 30 years old, or up to 40 years old in the case of vulnerable groups (returnees, women and ethnic minorities), and includes consultations with young people in order to motivate and empower them to actively participate in shaping their community, financing and implementation of initiatives that young people design themselves in order to improve the quality of life in their community, opening up new economic opportunities as well as supporting local self-governments to create conditions for active participation of young people in local politics.
