European Union a reliable partner in development of Pirotski District

"Pirot is a dynamic local self-government that fights for new projects and uses European Union taxpayer funds in the right way for the benefit of citizens, and as such can be an example to other municipalities and all of Serbia, especially in the area of waste management and recycling," said Nicola Bertolini, Head of the Cooperation of the EU Delegation. As he added, Pirot, like other cities, is struggling with depopulation and the youth leaving, underlining this  as a priority on which Pirot, Serbia and the European Union should work together in the future.

Bertolini and the Mayor of Pirot also attended the beginning of works on the adaptation of the former closed market into a fair space. The EU grant of about 166,000 Euros, allocated through the EU PRO Plus programme, will be used for the replacement of carpentry, the construction of the external facade, mechanical installations and electrical works. 

"Pirot has a long cooperation with the European Union, in the past 15 years we have directly realised 25 projects worth around five million Euros in different areas in the city. We are looking forward to future successful cooperation, as Pirot always has its own funds, but also counting on the diversification of sources of funds for capital investments, including European Union projects and the use of the EU in the best possible way", said the mayor of Pirot, Vladan Vasić.

Speaking about the project of adaptation of the building for the fair trade venue, the Mayor Vasić said that Pirot will get a nice multifunctional space for the fair as well as other cultural activities.

Nicola Bertolini also visited the regional sanitary landfill in Pirot, whose work has been supported by the European Union since 2013, when it was established. This regional centre for waste management works in accordance with the standards and laws of the EU and Serbia and covers the territory of all four local self-governments of the Pirotski district with about 90,000 inhabitants. 

In Pirot, the representative of the EU Delegation also visited the medieval fortress of Momčilov grad. The European Union financially supported this project with close to half a million Euros through the Cross-border Cooperation programme Serbia-Bulgaria, thus contributing to the preservation of cultural heritage and fostering tourism development of the Pirot City.

Bertolini also had the opportunity to try the traditional product of this region, ironed sausage. The "Boemska potkovica" enterprise with the EU grant worth 20,000 Euros procured new equipment to modernise and increase the production of “peglana kobasica”, a traditional delicacy which is still produced according to the traditional recipe and has the designation of geographical origin.

During the first day of the visit to the Pirotski district, the representative of the EU Delegation met with the Mayor of Dimitrovgrad Vladica Dimitrov and visited the renovated Culture Centre and the premises in the refurbished sports centre, projects supported by the EU in order to improve the conditions for culture and sports activities in the Municipality.

“The European Union is composed of local communities, not only 27 member countries, and that is why we pay special attention to their development and will cooperate even more closely with the local self-governments in Serbia because they all should  be part of the European integration process. It may be a long road, but it is a road made by people, and that is why local authorities should invest in people, in particular  young ones, who will then stay to live and work in their places in Serbia”, said Bertolini in Dimitrovgrad.

On the second day of the visit, 2 November, Nicola Bertolini in Bela Palanka, after a meeting with the Mayor Goran Miljković, saw how the EU funds were invested in improving the quality of life of people through the reconstruction of the Primary School "Ljupče Španac", the renovation of the Culture Centre "Remezijana" and the construction of a sports and recreational centre. In Bela Palanka the EU is also investing 180,000 Euros in the reconstruction and extension of the water supply source and reservoirs “Vrelo”.

After the visit to the projects, Bertolini said that although the small municipality, Bela Palanka has implemented a number of important projects, while in the future it should focus more on strategic projects with even greater impact in order to improve the quality of life of people. The Mayor of Bela Palanka, Goran Miljković, pointed out that in the past 15 years, with the support of the EU, Bela Palanka implemented 26 projects worth almost two million Euros, which improved living conditions in the municipality.

The Head of the Cooperation of the EU Delegation, Nicola Bertolini, ended his visit to the Pirotski district in Babušnica, where together with the Mayor, Ivana Stojičić, visited the Culture centre renovated with the EU support in line with the highest standards. They also visited the works on the renovation of the interior of the "Dečija radost" kindergarten, which is financed by the EU through the EU PRO Plus programme with almost 180,000 Euros. After the completion of the works, this unique preschool institution will have significantly improved conditions for the stay of more than 100 children as well as for the work of employees.