European Union is fully committed to assist the region of Western Balkans in addressing the issue of refugees at both national and regional level. Being the first partner and the biggest donor of this programme, the EU has allocated EUR230 million in order to support the housing of refugees in the region. This means new homes for over 16.000 most vulnerable families or 45.000 persons in Serbia, said Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Michael Davenport on the occasion of beginning of implementation of the Regional Housing Programme (RHP).
Together with other partners, Davenport signed contracts with representatives of nine municipalities in which housing objects will be constructed under the second wave of the Regional Housing Programme worth EUR11 million. These funds will provide housing solutions to 870 refugee families via construction of 200 apartments, provision of 120 prefabricated and 250 village houses, as well as the provision of 300 construction material sets.
Davenport commended “the courage of countries in the region who have signed the Sarajevo Declaration and bravely committed to solving common issues to the benefit of people still suffering from the aftermath of war.”
He said he expected Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB), being in charge with the Programme, to intensify the implementation according to the agreed plan. “Refugee population has been waiting for far too long, it is time they saw our solidarity in action,” Davenport said.
He said that donors, with the EU being at the forefront, “expect full commitment, efficiency and concrete implementation in order to finally close this truly painful chapter.”
“I guarantee that in return, the European Union will remain your most committed partner, in financial, political, and every other sense. This is our human obligation, in the spirit of solidarity, which is the basic value of the European project and a value we must not forsake, not even at the times of economic crisis,” Head of the EU Delegation said.
Agreements were signed in Stara Pazova with presidents of towns and municipalities of Sid, Sremska Mitrovica, Sabac, Krusevac, Prokuplje, Paracin, Kikinda, Bajina Basta and Vrsac, where 200 apartments for refugees will be built.
Participants of the Conference in Stara Pazova also visited the Tepsic family that fled from Croatia in 1995 and has now been consigned with a set of construction material to complete the construction of their house.
