Minister of European Integration Jadranka Joksimović has stated today that a few years back the Government of Serbia has managed to ensure Serbia’s accreditation for using IPARD funds for rural development in the amount of EUR 175 million of grants for the period from 2014 until 2020.
In the Serbian Assembly Joksimović has said that “those who had advocated Serbia’s European path for ten years” kept the Directorate for Agrarian Payments in Šabac, while the European Commission requirement was to move it to Belgrade, so Serbia lost millions due to that.
“In 2014 and 2015 we have done that and those instalments are now being paid in lots. Many people have applied for funds which are being allocated for mechanisation, rural tourism and other”, said Joksimović.
She has added that all interested parties are being facilitated through workshops all around Serbia to write good projects and apply for funds.
“When you become a member than you have to contribute to the European budget, but your access to the structural funds also becomes much larger”, said Joksimović, and indicated that, for example, for recovery due to the Coronavirus pandemic, Croatia will receive EUR 11 billion if it creates the national reform programme.
Joksimović has added that it is important for citizens to know that the EU is the biggest donor of grants, so in that sense she has mentioned IPA funds, pre-accession funds and Western Balkans Investment Framework.
“Serbia has nominated important projects for the comprehensive incentive plan for WB, and many of our proposals will be approved. No final decision has been made yet, so I would not mention anything specific, but we have wastewater treatment plants, corridors and everything from the greater part of our plan, where we will be able to combine our funds with European grants. Also with favourable loans, but some of it will comprise only of grants”, said Joksimović.
Source: Tanjug
