Minister of European Integration Jadranka Joksimović has said that the documentation on the second tranche of EUR 8 million of EU assistance to the Serbian budget for education reform is under way.
At the second interministerial meeting on education reform, Joksimović has emphasised that, in 2017 and 2018, Serbia successfully implemented the set objectives of the reforms, for which it withdrew EUR 8 million from the EU, adding that she expects that Serbia will be able to withdraw additional funds in the following stage.
“I expect that we will have the possibility to withdraw another EUR 8 million in the following stage and that the money will be available to Serbia’s budget”, said the Minister.
She has emphasised that Serbia is envisaged to receive three tranches of EUR 8 million and that additional funds have also been allocated subsequently, noting that Serbia will therefore have EUR 27.4 million available, of which the largest part is envisaged for education.
The last tranche of EU funds should be withdrawn by 31 December 2019, and Joksimović has stated that there is still time to complete the tasks necessary for the withdrawal of all funds.
“It would be a shame and pity not to fulfil everything that has been envisaged for this extremely important process, for Serbia’s sustainable development, namely for development that is based on education and knowledge, economy that is based on knowledge”, underlined the Minister.
As a precondition, receiving the EU assistance requires the preparation, adoption and implementation of documents that are strategically important for education reform.
Joksimović has said that the EU sector budget support to Serbia was ensured in 2015. She has recalled that it was the first time a candidate country had been offered a possibility of direct budget assistance that is related to public administration reform, public financial management and education.
The amount of EUR 80 million was agreed on that occasion, and the money is directly payed to the National Bank of Serbia which transfers it to the Treasury. Those funds have been allocated to Serbia as an additional form of assistance, in addition to IPA funds it has as a candidate country.
Source: Tanjug
