Q:
A:
Meeting on Danube strategy in Belgrade
Belgrade/Brussels,
19 March 2010
Deputy Prime Minister for EU integration Bozidar Djelic said today that officials from the Danube region countries and European Commission representatives will hold a meeting in September, in Belgrade to determine key projects and finance resources for the Danube strategy.
Siim Kalas, left, and Bozidar Djelic
Author:
infobiro.tv
Djelic, who is in Brussels on a visit, said after a meeting with Commissioner for Regional Policy Johannes Hahn and Commissioner for Transport Siim Kalas, that a draft of the Danube strategy, which is being prepared by the European Commission, will be completed by the end of this year.
The fact that the meeting will be held in Belgrade is a sign of the great confidence being shown in Serbia, which is not yet an official EU candidate, he said.
He said that he discussed the future construction and development of European transport corridors with Kalas, as well as Serbia’s possible participation in the debate on the financing of major infrastructure projects, particularly European corridors 7 and 10 which pass through Serbia.
Serbia will make every effort to promote the idea of the construction of Corridor 11 from Romania to Montenegro, through Bosnia-Herzegovina, he said.
During the meeting with Kalas the construction of railway infrastructure, which is ecologically and financially far better than road transport, was discussed as well, said Djelic.
A new concept that the EU is preparing for future financing from its structural funds is to accelerate distribution of funds to Western Balkans countries before they join the EU, and this concept was also discussed, he said.
There is the example of Croatia, which now receives nearly €200 million annually from the European budget, while during the first year of membership it will receive some €1.5 billion in direct support, Djelic said.
He said that the financial parameters are such that all countries, including Serbia, are making efforts to acquire membership as soon as possible. It is necessary to harmonise the new agreement and plan for the supply of funds to candidate and potential candidate countries so that they can be better prepared to enter the EU, said the Deputy Prime Minister.
The fact that the meeting will be held in Belgrade is a sign of the great confidence being shown in Serbia, which is not yet an official EU candidate, he said.
He said that he discussed the future construction and development of European transport corridors with Kalas, as well as Serbia’s possible participation in the debate on the financing of major infrastructure projects, particularly European corridors 7 and 10 which pass through Serbia.
Serbia will make every effort to promote the idea of the construction of Corridor 11 from Romania to Montenegro, through Bosnia-Herzegovina, he said.
During the meeting with Kalas the construction of railway infrastructure, which is ecologically and financially far better than road transport, was discussed as well, said Djelic.
A new concept that the EU is preparing for future financing from its structural funds is to accelerate distribution of funds to Western Balkans countries before they join the EU, and this concept was also discussed, he said.
There is the example of Croatia, which now receives nearly €200 million annually from the European budget, while during the first year of membership it will receive some €1.5 billion in direct support, Djelic said.
He said that the financial parameters are such that all countries, including Serbia, are making efforts to acquire membership as soon as possible. It is necessary to harmonise the new agreement and plan for the supply of funds to candidate and potential candidate countries so that they can be better prepared to enter the EU, said the Deputy Prime Minister.
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