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EU invests almost €50 million in SME development
Belgrade,
15 June 2009
Assistant Minister of Economy and Regional Development Igor Brkanovic and European Commission representative in Serbia Dejan Suvakov today opened the two-day seminar, “Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (EIP)”.
Brkanovic explained that the EIP will enable easier access to capital and any kind of business assistance and therefore help develop the SME sector.
He recalled that by signing the Memorandum of Understanding with the European Commission Serbia accessed the Competitiveness and Innovation programme (CIP), as well as the EIP.
The EIP will set aside €3.6 billion, while the CIP will provide around €2.2 billion for the development of SMEs in Serbia by 2013, he said.
The Assistant Minister stressed that the programme defines a legal framework according to which SMEs will be able to directly or indirectly participate in all EU projects and programmes supporting the development of entrepreneurship in Europe.
SMEs will have an opportunity to enter the EU market and cooperate with EU partners, as well as to promote institutional infrastructure, stressed Brkanovic. He announced the opening of a section of the European Entrepreneurial Network within the Agency for the Development of SMEs and Entrepreneurship, which will gather information about possibilities for appearing in the European market, transfer of technologies and stronger links between SMEs and knowledge centres. Brkanovic said that the project, worth around €1.25 million, was realised by the Agency for the Development of SMEs and Entrepreneurship and SIEPA in cooperation with universities in Nis, Novi Sad and Belgrade, as well as the Mihajlo Pupin Institute.
The Assistant Minister recalled that the Ministry of Economy last week announced two public calls, namely, for the development of clusters, for which RSD 30 million has been earmarked and for strengthening innovation in SMEs, for which purpose around RSD 44 million has been set aside.
Suvakov said that since 2000 the EU has so far invested around €50 million in SME development in Serbia, while talks are underway for an additional €6.5 million.
He said that around €15 million has been spent on direct credit lines for the entrepreneurial sector, while more funds have been invested in the development of capacity and institutions, primarily in the entrepreneurial sector.
The situation in this sector in Serbia has improved in the past five or six years, he said, stressing that the fact that the Serbian government has not given up on a number of projects to be financed from its budget shows that it seriously endorses the development of SMEs and entrepreneurship.
He recalled that by signing the Memorandum of Understanding with the European Commission Serbia accessed the Competitiveness and Innovation programme (CIP), as well as the EIP.
The EIP will set aside €3.6 billion, while the CIP will provide around €2.2 billion for the development of SMEs in Serbia by 2013, he said.
The Assistant Minister stressed that the programme defines a legal framework according to which SMEs will be able to directly or indirectly participate in all EU projects and programmes supporting the development of entrepreneurship in Europe.
SMEs will have an opportunity to enter the EU market and cooperate with EU partners, as well as to promote institutional infrastructure, stressed Brkanovic. He announced the opening of a section of the European Entrepreneurial Network within the Agency for the Development of SMEs and Entrepreneurship, which will gather information about possibilities for appearing in the European market, transfer of technologies and stronger links between SMEs and knowledge centres. Brkanovic said that the project, worth around €1.25 million, was realised by the Agency for the Development of SMEs and Entrepreneurship and SIEPA in cooperation with universities in Nis, Novi Sad and Belgrade, as well as the Mihajlo Pupin Institute.
The Assistant Minister recalled that the Ministry of Economy last week announced two public calls, namely, for the development of clusters, for which RSD 30 million has been earmarked and for strengthening innovation in SMEs, for which purpose around RSD 44 million has been set aside.
Suvakov said that since 2000 the EU has so far invested around €50 million in SME development in Serbia, while talks are underway for an additional €6.5 million.
He said that around €15 million has been spent on direct credit lines for the entrepreneurial sector, while more funds have been invested in the development of capacity and institutions, primarily in the entrepreneurial sector.
The situation in this sector in Serbia has improved in the past five or six years, he said, stressing that the fact that the Serbian government has not given up on a number of projects to be financed from its budget shows that it seriously endorses the development of SMEs and entrepreneurship.
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