When it becomes an EU member, Serbia will have at its disposal much greater amounts from the EU structural funds compared to what it is currently receiving, and it must prepare for it before joining the Union, Minister of European Integration Jadranka Joksimović has stated today, adding that Serbia’s goals are sustainable economic and social development.
“If you have not spent the granted money, you have caused double damage - to the citizens, the country, to development and the future, which is something we want to avoid. That is why we want to do something at this stage so that we do not find ourselves unprepared for membership”, emphasised Joksimović at a round table titled “The role of accredited regional development agencies in creating the sustainable development policy in Serbia and preparations for the EU cohesion policy”.
Joksimović has said that the Action Plan for Chapter 22, referring to regional policy and coordination of structural instruments will be finalised in the course of this year, and that the drafting of the law on cohesion policy is also planned.
The goal of Serbia and its responsible policy is sustainable regional socio-economic development, emphasised Joksimović, adding that this means that not only the same, but even better living conditions will be inherited by the generations to come.
Joksimović has said that the EU cohesion policy is the central topic of European integration and the EU member states regarding sustainable regional development, explaining that it is sustainable policy of the present that is creating a responsible economic and social development policy of the future that will result in the same level of development, but that will also provide better and more stimulating conditions for the development of the generations to come.
The Minister has said that the EU cohesion policy is one of the most complex policies and, despite being difficult to implement, is one of the best because its goal is the reduction of disparity in the development of the European regions.
“That is reflected among the member states that, upon becoming a member, develop parts that are lagging behind the others and align with the level of development at the European level, based on which the EU also strengthens its European regional policy”, said Joksimović.
Joksimović has stated that, upon becoming an EU member, Serbia will have access to amounts several times greater than those available from the IPA funds, which is around 200 million euros annually.
She has mentioned Bulgaria as an example of a member state that receives around a billion euros a year from the cohesion funds, as well as additional amounts from the regional development finds and the European Social Fund.
She has noted that as much as ten per cent of Bulgaria’s total GDP comes from various types of access to structural funds, namely from its ability to use the cohesion funds, regional development funds and the social fund.
“That is a substantial qualitative change for which we must prepare in order to access it without any problems and gaps and without finding ourselves in the situation of not spending the money that will be available to us”, said Joksimović.
Speaking about regional development agencies, Joksimović has said that those agencies’ cooperation with the ministry headed by her is very important and that development agencies are an important part and the bearers of the regional development process.
Joksimović has said that during her term of office she has placed the same focus on the political process of European integration as on the use of accession funds and Serbia’s preparations for transitioning to the cohesion policy upon becoming an EU member.
She has also underlined that regional development agencies will be the leading institutional network for the preparation and implementation of the regional development policy and transition to the cohesion policy.
She has added that everyone knows that the EU funds become several times larger once a country becomes a member, but that no one wishes to deal with that at this stage, not because it is too complicated, but because it requires partnership and coordination and a partnership level at all levels of government.
“The Ministry of European Integration has been and will remain the node of this coordination and partnership process and I hope that we will intensify our coordination and communication in the future and that we will have more and more projects that will help regional agencies to strengthen their capacities”, said Joksimović.
Bulgarian Ambassador to Serbia Radko Vlaykov has said that his country has enormously changed precisely owing to the EU cohesion funds and cohesion policy.
“When we started the negotiations 19-20 years ago and were in a similar situation to Serbia, I remember that our EU partners said that it was not enough only to catch a fish and give it to people, but that people should be taught how to fish”, said Vlaykov.
He has said that that he is surprised by the amount of efforts Serbia is investing into such policy, emphasising that Bulgaria will provide full support to Serbia in political sense, as well as through sharing its experiences and knowledge.
“We have made many mistakes in that process, so why not share our experience to make it easier for you on that road; with that kind of support your activities will be realised faster and you will sooner become a member of the European family”, stressed the Ambassador.
Source: Tanjug
