Better infrastructure in 33 municipalities in Šumadija and Western Serbia and Southern and Eastern Serbia

The European Union (EU) will support implementation of 34 local infrastructure projects in the regions of Šumadija and Western Serbia and Southern and Eastern Serbia through the EU PRO Plus Programme including the renovation and reconstruction of educational, health and social care institutions, sports and cultural facilities, and improvement of communal infrastructure and public administration buildings.

In this way, the EU, in cooperation with the Ministry of European Integration, supports the improvement of living standard with more than 5.5 million Euros, while special focus will be on the vulnerable groups, and the Covid-19 recovery.

"Sustainable territorial development is an important strategic theme throughout Europe. Serbia shares this goal, and European integration, i.e. our harmonization with the EU policies, are an instrument that can best contribute to reducing development disparities in our country, as well as creating opportunities for a better life and work for all those who want to stay in to their local communities", said Jadranka Joksimović, Minister of European integration.

"These projects, which will be implemented with the support of the European Union within the EU PRO Plus Programme, are a tangible contribution to this goal, and above all to creating equal conditions for education and growing up of children, improving the quality and accessibility of communal, health and social services," concluded Minister Joksimović while pointing out that local self-governments competed with priority projects that will improve life in those areas.

“By supporting the implementation of the local infrastructure projects, the European Union directly contributes to a better life for the population in Serbia through the reconstruction of public facilities that will not only improve their functionality and services to the population but will also improve energy efficiency, accessibility, environment and urban mobility”, said the Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Serbia, Ambassador Emanuele Giaufret.

A total of 75 project proposals were submitted to the public call that was open from 3 December 2021 to 31 January 2022, which prescribed construction permit and financial share of minimum 15 percent of the project value as the necessary conditions for successful application. In addition, the local self-governments had the right to apply for two projects, provided that one or both are related to health and/or social protection. Thus, 33 local self-governments to which projects have been approved will participate in the realisation with 2,742,579 million Euros, so the total budget of all projects is estimated at 8,272,532 million Euros.

The list of the project approved for funding is available here on the EU PRO Plus website.