3/17/2015 2:29:00 PM Serbia to obtain EUR 198 million from 2014 IPA funds
BELGRADE - Serbia will be able to count on over EUR 198 million worth of EU assistance funds from the 2014 IPA package, with most of the money to be directed to reconstruction in the wake of the May floods and preventive measures, the head of the EU Delegation to Serbia, Michael Davenport, announced on Tuesday. The EU is already treating Serbia as a full-fledged member, Davenport said at the opening of EU and Serbia At Work, an EU-funded project fair. The European Commission has decided to set aside over EUR 60 million from the Solidarity Fund to help the recovery from the catastrophic floods, and the grants obtained by Serbia from the EU since 2000 will reach EUR 3 billion, he noted. Minister without portfolio for European Integrations Jadranka Joksimovic thanked for the support provided so far, which she said is a "good foundation for a sincere partnership." "The EUR 1.5 billion of EU grants between 2014 and 2020 will represent a very important element of strengthening the confidence of the Serbian citizens in the European path," Joksimovic said. Davenport hopes to see first chapter opened this year Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Michael Davenport said on Tuesday the EU and Serbia would soon reach an important turning point, adding that he hoped the first chapter of the accession talks between Serbia and the EU would be opened this year. The European Commission and Serbia will finish the screenings for all 35 chapters of the accession talks on March 25, he said at the opening of the project fair entitled The EU and Serbia at Work, which is funded by the EU. We hope the first chapter will be opened this year, Davenport pointed out. Serbia's team for the talks has shown impressive commitment and professional attitude so far, he noted, adding that the EU countries would grade Serbia's readiness to meet the EU criteria based on the screening reports. Opening chapters in first half of year would be success Jadranka Joksimovic, minister without portfolio in charge of the EU integration, stated on Monday that the opening of a certain chapter in the EU accession talks by the end of the first half of the year would be a success, adding that several chapters are expected to be opened by the end of the year. “We have done all in our power. The approach has been changed, and it is being insisted on the opening of political chapters which bring additional criteria,” she told reporters after the opening of a fair presenting EU-funded projects entitled “EU and Serbia in action”. Joksimovic expressed belief that chapters will be opened soon with the help of good action plans and progress in the implementation of the Brussels agreement. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "SERBIAN NEWS NETWORK" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/senet. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
