EU supports the improvement of economic infrastructure with over five million Euros

The grants worth over five million Euros are being provided through the EU PRO Plus programme, which is implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of European Integration, for projects of construction or reconstruction and infrastructural equipping of industrial zones, tourist zones, as well as for development technical documentation for the development of economic infrastructure.

"Together with the European Union, we are working to create conditions for economic growth, and this support should contribute to strengthening the competitiveness of local self-governments and their ability to implement projects. In 20 cities and municipalities with the European Union grants, economic infrastructure in industrial zones will be improved, as well as tourist infrastructure, which will create conditions for new investments and new jobs, all leading to a better standard of living for citizens," said Tanja Miščević, Minister of European Integration.

"By supporting these projects, the European Union contributes to the improvement of the business and investment climate in Serbia, strengthens competitiveness and creates conditions for achieving better economic results. It is expected that these projects will contribute to over 300 million Euros of new investments and the creation of around 4,500 new jobs within five years after their implementation, while we focused special attention on supporting the economic development of less developed parts of the country", said the Ambassador of the European Union to Serbia, Emanuele Giaufret.

Of the total allocated funds, 3.1 million Euros will be used for infrastructure equipment, i.e. construction of roads, transformer stations, improvement or construction of communal infrastructure in industrial zones in Valjevo, Šabac, Ćuprija, Preševo, Kragujevac and Mionica, reconstruction and equipment of the former textile plant in Bosilegrad, while the regional Smart Centre will be completed in Novi Pazar. The EU will support projects aimed at the development of sustainable tourism in Knjaževac, Aleksinac, Mali Zvornik, Užice and Kraljevo with 1.5 million Euros, while Bajina Bašta, Surdulica, Loznica, Paraćin, Zaječar, Kosjerić, Lajkovac will receive support in the amount of over 423,000 Euros to develop technical documentation for development of economic infrastructure, i.e. for the preparation of projects for building permits, project execution designs and feasibility studies. The local self-governments themselves, in proportion to the level of development, provided funds for co-financing in the amount of more than 2.7 million Euros.

These 20 projects were selected through a Public Call conducted by EU PRO Plus in two phases in the period from 26 September 2022 to 29 January 2023.

The list of approved projects is available on the EU PRO Plus programme website: Results of the Public Call for Economic Infrastructure Projects.