The conference launching the 2nd Call for Proposals within the Interreg IPA Cross-border Cooperation Programme Croatia-Serbia 2014-2020 was held at Subotica’s City Hall. Projects implemented under the programme will receive a total of EUR40 million, EUR15 million out of which has been secured by the European Union.
Assistant Minister of European Integration Mihajilo Dasic described EU membership as Serbia’s strategic goal, adding that the conference marking the launch of the second CfP serves to shows how EU-funded projects promote European values and reforms implemented by Serbia in the most straightforward manner.
“I would like to say that the European Union has for years been one of the leading donors of the Republic of Serbia, helping our institutions to implement reforms and EU acquis on our country’s EU path. The programmes are implemented in border areas, which are often times underdeveloped but are at the same time treasuries of cultural and bio diversity and economic potentials we should be developing. Cross-border and transnational cooperation programmes are an important form of support provided to EU Member States, candidate countries and potential candidates,” Dasic said.
Alongside him, the conference was addressed by Assistant Minister of Regional Development and EU Funds of the Republic of Croatia Kristina Bilic, Interreg Task Manager at the DG REGIO of the European Commission Joana Kirilo, Head of the Joint Secretariat of the Programme Davor Skocibusic and Andjelka Hajdek of the Programme’s Managing Authority as well as Director of the Agency for Regional Development of the Republic of Croatia Stela Arneri. She explained that the EU has allocated EUR15 and EUR15.2 million for the first and second CfP, respectively.
“We are continuing our longstanding fruitful cooperation. In the previous 2007-2013 programme perspective, the Republic of Croatia and the Republic of Serbia have contracted 100 per cent of the then-available EUR13 million and achieved a utilisation rate of up to 96 per cent. We will use this, much larger funding available under the second CfP to further our four priorities – health protection and social assistance, energy efficiency and renewables, tourism and culture, and advancing regional competitiveness and business environment,” she said.
At the end of the conference, the S.O.S. project was presented as an example of good practice from the 1st CfP. Ivana Andjelkovic of the Tourist Board of the City of Subotica and Miroslava Babic of the City of Subotica presented the project which is scheduled to run through August 2019. The project aims to valorise common cultural heritage of Osijek and Subotica through revitalization of heritage from the Secession period and its integration at the cross-border level as well as through the promotion of a joint tourist product placed in the market. Among project activities is the drafting of technical and strategic documents for the restoration of the Art Nouveau City Hall in Subotica where the conference took place.
The Interreg programme covers four counties in north-east Croatia and five districts in south-west Serbia, home to a total of 2.3 million people. The project preparation is coordinated by the Ministry of Regional Development of the Republic of Croatia with the Agency for Regional Development of the Republic of Croatia as the Managing Authority and the Ministry of European Integration as the National Authority in the Republic of Serbia. For more information about the Programme, visit: www.interreg-croatia-serbia2014-2020.eu
