Social Policy

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Social policy, and in particular social protection and social inclusion, are among the major elements of the EU model and EU project in general. Those values include equality, solidarity, tolerance and fundamental human rights, the right to decent living and work conditions, the right to adequate social protection and proper schooling and the right to live in a healthy and safe environment.

In Serbia, the largest and most important donor in this sector has been the EU with total disbursement within IPA component I amounting to €213 million in the period 2007-2013.

The EU has donated substantial financial resources through pre-accession funds to address the issue of social protection and inclusion of children, people with disabilities, refugees and IDPs, Roma, elderly citizens, returnees and migrants.

Ongoing efforts are concentrated on the decentralization of services delivery and the creation of stronger linkages between education, health, housing and labour market policies to address the needs of vulnerable groups and facilitate their activation in the labour market and their social inclusion. Some of the key challenges are related to social inclusion rates, relevance and targeting of cash benefits and welfare, access to and quality of community-based services for diverse groups.

IN THE FUTURE:

IPA 2013 – Technical Assistance for Support to social inclusion of the most vulnerable and multiply disadvantaged groups provided through high quality and innovative community-based social services and social business initiatives (€700,000)

IPA 2013 – Grant scheme for Support to social inclusion of the most vulnerable and multiply disadvantaged groups provided through high quality and innovative community-based social services and social business initiatives (€5,5 million)

IPA 2013 – Technical Assistance for Improvement of Living and Housing Conditions among the Roma Population Presently Residing in Informal Settlements (€1,350,000.00)

IPA 2103 – Grant scheme – implementation of durable housing solutions (€8,075,000.00)

IPA 2104 TA – Socio-economic conditions of Roma enhanced through: 100 sub standardized Roma settlements improved, capacities of state mechanisms for Roma inclusion at local level raised and scholarships implemented for secondary education Roma students Service (€3.1 million)

IPA 2014 – Direct grant to the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development (€1 million).