SPECIAL MEASURE

On 7 October, European Commission adopted a EUR7 million special assistance package for Serbia to help it tackle unprecedented refugee influx. The package is aimed at increasing operational capacity of relevant national and local authorities in Serbia and the purchase of equipment needed to support the refugees.

Special EUR7 million measure has been distributed as follows:

  • 5 million grant designed to strengthen the capacity of Commissariat for Refugees and Migration to meet the needs of refugees and migrants and increase the assistance coordination capacity of reception centres throughout Serbia.
  • Three direct grants, worth EUR1 million each, to organisations HELP, ASB and DRC to increase their capacity to help relevant authorities in providing services and achieving efficient management of migration flows

The grants were signed in November 2015 and their implementation is ongoing.

  • EU Delegation to Serbia is currently conducting procurement procedure for equipment and other resources, in total value of EUR2.5 million, for the Ministry of Internal and Commissariat for Refugees and Migration. The equipment includes vehicles (vans, buses, passenger vehicles etc.) which will help Serbia to distribute necessary aid to refugees. The first delivery is due in early 2016.

The European Investment Bank (EIB), the bank of the European Union, contributed €5 million as a grant to the Migrants and Refugee Fund (MRF) recently founded by the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB). This enabled CEB to grant, at the end of October, €2.3 million to the Serbian Government for improving living conditions for refugees and migrants in reception centres.

HUMANITARIAN AID

The EU has started the delivery of humanitarian aid to Serbia in September 2015.

In September, EU DG for Humanitarian Assistance and Civil Protection (ECHO) delivered the first humanitarian assistance package worth EUR150,000 which included emergency items such as water, food and clothing for refugees in Presevo, Bujanovac, Subotica, Kanjiza, Zajecar, Negotin and Pirot. This assistance package has been implemented through Disaster Relief Emergency Fund, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and distributed by Red Cross of Serbia.

In September 2015, EU Delegation to Serbia and Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency allocated EUR237,000 out of PROGRES Programme to meet additional needs. Garbage bins and sanitary material have been delivered to Presevo Reception Centre. Garbage truck will be delivered in early 2016.

ECHO allocated additional EUR8.5 million in humanitarian aid for Serbia and Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (70% of the package is aimed at Serbia). Implementation of the package started in November 2015 and will be used to meet the most urgent needs such as food, hygiene, healthcare, psychosocial support, temporary housing of refugees and migrants and coordination of and gathering information on migrant routes.