Q:
A:
€45m for local self-government this year
Belgrade,
28 October 2008
Serbian Deputy Prime Minister in charge of European integration Bozidar Djelic said that Serbia should endeavour to increase the funds it currently receives from the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) from the current €200 million to €1 billion by the time it becomes a fully-fledged member of the EU.
Author:
Tanjug
At a conference on the participation of local self-government in the IPA funds programming, Djelic said that Serbia must carry out reforms, including regionalisation.
Serbian regions should be big enough to be able to qualify for IPA funds, he explained, adding that €45 million will be set aside for local self-government this year.
He said that the EU has already provided €2.5 billion for Serbia while €1.3 billion has been allocated through loans of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and European Investment Bank (EIB).
Djelic stressed that the EU’s IPA funds were set up in order to rationalise the EU budget’s goals, and their worth for the period 2007-2013 is €11.5 billion, which the EU will give to either its members or countries in the process of EU accession.
The budget will be revised at the beginning of 2010 and, if Serbia acquires EU candidate status, it will obtain new funding from the EU budget, added Djelic.
Head of Operations of the European Commission's Delegation to Serbia, Ferenc Simon, said that EU membership has had a positive influence on people’s everyday life, also pointing out that the EU Council of Ministers will not accept any unprepared new members.
According to Simon, the European Commission will help countries which want to become EU members, such as Serbia. Potential members can learn from the experience of those countries which joined the EU during 2004-2007.
He said that the IPA funds are ready and Serbia, as a potential EU candidate, has the right to obtain those funds for development and reform of its institutions.
Serbian regions should be big enough to be able to qualify for IPA funds, he explained, adding that €45 million will be set aside for local self-government this year.
He said that the EU has already provided €2.5 billion for Serbia while €1.3 billion has been allocated through loans of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and European Investment Bank (EIB).
Djelic stressed that the EU’s IPA funds were set up in order to rationalise the EU budget’s goals, and their worth for the period 2007-2013 is €11.5 billion, which the EU will give to either its members or countries in the process of EU accession.
The budget will be revised at the beginning of 2010 and, if Serbia acquires EU candidate status, it will obtain new funding from the EU budget, added Djelic.
Head of Operations of the European Commission's Delegation to Serbia, Ferenc Simon, said that EU membership has had a positive influence on people’s everyday life, also pointing out that the EU Council of Ministers will not accept any unprepared new members.
According to Simon, the European Commission will help countries which want to become EU members, such as Serbia. Potential members can learn from the experience of those countries which joined the EU during 2004-2007.
He said that the IPA funds are ready and Serbia, as a potential EU candidate, has the right to obtain those funds for development and reform of its institutions.
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