EU PROGRES

Employment of 300 people, creation of a basis for generating additional 3,000 new jobs in the next five years and helping to attract investments of at least 30 million Euros in South and South West Serbia are just some of the key results that the European Partnership with Municipalities Programme  EU PROGRES accomplished in the four years by implementing 255 projects with financial support from the European Union, Government of Switzerland, Government of Serbia and 25 local governments taking part in the implementation.

From July 2010 to March 2014, there were 41 implemented projects for development of industrial zones, planning documents and entrepreneurship in order to initiate employment in South and South West Serbia. Through 34 projects dealing with municipal infrastructure, contribution was made to improvement of living conditions for 150,000 people and business-enabling environment was created for over 800 enterprises.  EU PROGRES provided a comprehensive support to local governments and contributed to improvement of their efficiency, effectiveness, service delivery and strengthening of their capacities thus improving also their transparency and accountability. The Programme was also involved in 48 projects that dealt directly with environmental protection which was one of the top priorities. All this work was in accordance with the national strategies for solid waste and waste waters management.

“The European Union is implementing over 500 projects in Serbia and EU PROGRES is one of the most significant and most comprehensive ones since it contributed to economic progress, improvement of infrastructure, municipal services, health, assistance to socially vulnerable groups, equality of women, improvement of education and culture. Although EU PROGRES is drawing to an end, the assistance to development of South and South West Serbia will continue through the new Programme, European PROGRES that will commence soon,” said Michael Davenport, Head of the European Delegation to the Republic of Serbia,

Through EU PROGRES support was provided for projects intended for persons with physical or mental impairments, the unemployed, the elderly, Roma and women. In that way, the socially excluded persons exercised their fundamental rights – to have personal documents, health insurance, pension or child allowance while 800 Roma got running water. Through projects for improving the educational conditions 12,600 children benefited in four reconstructed kindergartens, one new primary school and four renovated school institutions. The foundation for improvement of health services was laid out throughout the Programme area by renovating health centres, procurement of equipment and educational campaigns and awareness raising campaigns.

“EU PROGRES, as one of our flagship programmes, has delivered many measurable results in creating jobs, attracting investments and improving the quality of life for the citizens in the South and South West Serbia. It managed to increase interaction between local governments and national institutions. The Programme became an excellent vehicle for removing obstacles to local development”, said Jean-Daniel Ruch, the Ambassador of Switzerland.

EU PROGRES supported implementation of three regional projects in the area of agriculture, establishment of two agricultural clusters and several small-scale interventions that contribute to rural development.

“There is a big difference in Serbia between the developed and less developed areas but with EU PROGRES our goal was to decrease that gap and enable the local institutions to make better use of donor funds. The activities within the Programme have complemented the efforts of the national and local governments to improve the business environment in this part of the country. Towns and municipalities involved in the Programme were the key partners in implementation as they are the most important partners in all other efforts to ensure Serbia’s path to the EU”, said Minister without Portfolio for European Integration in technical mandate Branko Ružić.