A Kick off conference was held in Užice to announce the First Call for Project Proposals under the IPA III Cross-Border Cooperation Programme Serbia-Bosnia and Herzegovina 2021-2027 .
Mira Radenović Božić, State Secretary of the Ministry of European Integration of the Republic of Serbia, emphasized the importance of the announced call:
“This call opens new opportunities for investing in youth, education, and skills development, which is invaluable. It is particularly significant that we can stimulate tourism development and preserve cultural and natural identity. Success from previous years has already brought significant results and contributed to the development of this region on both sides of the border,” said Radenović Božić.
Elvira Habota, Director of the Directorate for European Integration of Bosnia and Herzegovina, highlighted the importance of cross-border cooperation:
“This program has been implemented for over 15 years thanks to EU funds. The EU has allocated over 40 million euros for cross-border cooperation between our two countries, of which 14 million euros are intended for the current programming period. These funds enabled more than 250 institutions and organizations from both countries to jointly implement 75 cross-border projects in various areas,” said Habota.
Richard Maša, Head of Sector II Operations at the EU Delegation to Serbia, stated:
“We are marking the beginning of the next phase of the cross-border cooperation program, which the EU will finance with 9 million euros. This program is a unique opportunity for cooperation and development, ensuring prosperity for people on both sides of the border. At the same time, we have already launched a program with North Macedonia and will soon do so with Montenegro,” announced Maša.
The Mayor of Užice, Jelena Raković Radivojević, mentioned several cross-border cooperation projects already implemented with Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Following the ceremonial conference, an informational session was held. The Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Serbia, as the contracting authority, presented the Guidelines for Project Proposals and the Application Package, providing detailed information on the application process.
The European Union has allocated 9 million euros in non-refundable funds for this call, with a mandatory contribution of at least 15% from beneficiaries’ own funds or funds not originating from the EU budget. The grant amount per contract ranges between 180,000 and 600,000 euros, while the deadline for submitting project concepts is January 10, 2025.
