“The projects funded by the European Union and the Swiss Government in Southeast and Southwest Serbia over the past three years helped to start nearly 100 new companies and employ 300 people,” Graeme Tyndall European PROGRES Programme Manager said at the third annual meeting of the programme Steering Committee held today at the Lake of Vlasina.
Out of 251 projects funded trough European PROGRES, one of the largest development programmes in Serbia, 80 per cent have already been completed and initial effects contributing to social and economic development of the 34 local self-governments are becoming tangible.
“We have substantially improved the economic and social infrastructure and contributed to better understanding of the process of good governance and gender equality. It is up to you to apply these principles to your future endeavours,” said Ana Stankovic Project Manager at the EU Delegation to Serbia.
A representative of the Swiss Cooperation Office Petar Vasilev said that the representatives of local self-governments should apply the skills and knowledge they had acquired in the field of good governance in their work, planning and decision-making and thus contribute to long-term improvement of people’s lives.
The programme Steering Committee members assessed the progress made in the area of competitiveness as particularly important, as corroborated by analyses conducted by the European PROGRES in partnership with local self-governments. Over 75 per cent of local self-governments engaged in the Programme Area of Responsibility (AoR) have significantly improved their competitiveness, especially in terms of financial management, technical documentation preparation, building permits and provision of municipal services, i.e. in areas targeted by European PROGRES.
Vlasina honey protection of geographical indication project completed
The successfully completed project aimed at protection of Vlasina honey geographical indication, for which the EU and Swiss Government have allocated EUR10,000 via the programme, is a prime example of the support extended to boosting the competitiveness of local economy and honey producers. Also, the project contributed to promotion of the Vlasina area.
“Bee pastures of the Vlasina Plateau, declared a Landscape of Exceptional Features under a Serbian Government Decree, are what makes our honey special. That is why it is filled with medicinal herbs aroma. Thanks to protected geographical indication, 80 members of our Association can now increase sales of their products as well as improve and align their production technology. We are hoping that the number of young bee-keepers would increase as well,” said Ivica Kostic of the Association of Beekeepers “Matica“ from Surdulica.
The Association has received technical support to design specifications and run laboratory analyses necessary to register the geographical indication of Vlasina honey – a quality label that guarantees quality and increases the added value of the product while making producers more competitive in the market. The specifications were approved by the Intellectual Property Office of the Republic of Serbia.
Also, the process of protecting geographical indications of Ivanjica potatoes, Sjenica cow cheese, Sjenica stelja (smoked mutton) and Sjenica lamb are also under way. Once completed, these products, the results of tradition, skills and knowledge, will be ready for the European market.
The meeting participants were given an overview of results of the Programme and assessed that headway has also been made in the field of infrastructure. Namely, 40 main designs prepared thanks to European PROGRES support could attract potential investments worth EUR29 million, i.e. EUR5 million more than the programme`s total budget. Seven local self-governments have already been granted donations worth over EUR3 million.
The development of 19 local infrastructure projects is proceeding as planned. The participants in the meeting highlighted the significance of infrastructure projects in 14 local self-governments in European PROGRES AoR, for which the EU earmarked over EUR3.2 million. These projects have been contracted through the IPA 2013 National Programme, the first to be implemented under the system of Decentralised Management of EU funds. Another two regional projects implemented by the Department for Contracting and Financing of EU Funded Programmes within the Ministry of Finance have been contracted as well – completion of the construction of a new surgical ward at the Vranje General Hospital and construction of a new emergency ward of the Novi Pazar Health Centre.
Also, participants in the meeting underlined that the programme substantially contributed to improvement of social inclusion through activities directly facilitating the social and economic empowerment of 9,000 members of vulnerable social groups, women and Roma in particular. Bulk of the efforts have been invested in their employment, education, access to social, medical and municipal services, as well as exercise of human and minority rights.
The third annual meeting of the European PROGRES Steering Committee noted that the donors would continue to support the development of the south of the country and that all partners, primarily local self-governments, had to take an active part in completing the projects, so that they could start new programmes afresh, albeit “armed” with experience they had acquired and lessons they had learned.
The European Union and the Government of Switzerland support the activities of the European PROGRESS programme, which contributes to the sustainable development of the South and South West Serbia, with a total of EUR24.46 million. Approved projects will be aimed at strengthening local administration creating a favourable environment for the development of infrastructure and economy as well as improving the implementation of social inclusion and employment policy. The programme is implemented by the United Nations Office for Project Service (UNOPS).
The municipalities included in the programme are as follows: Novi Pazar, Ivanjica, Nova Varos, Priboj, Prijepolje, Raska, Sjenica and Tutin in Southest Serbia, as well as Prokuplje, Blace, Zitoradja, Kursumlija, Leskovac, Bojnik, Vlasotince, Lebane, Medvedja, Crna Trava, Vranje, Bosilegrad, Bujanovac, Vladicin Han, Presevo, Surdulica, Trgoviste, Brus, Aleksinac, Gadzin Han, Doljevac, Merosina, Svrljig, Babusnica, Bela Palanka and Knjazevac in Southeast of the country.
