HOW TO USE EU IPA FUNDS
28.07.2014

Jadranka Joksimovic, minister without portfolio in the government of Serbia, in charge of European integration, visited memorial park "Bubanj" in Nis, which is restored with the funds from the IPA, with the head of the negotiating team for Serbia joining the EU, Dr Tanja Miščević and staff, and with the president of Municipality of Palilula in Nis Boban Džunić.

Jadranka Joksimovic declared on this occasion that Serbia as a candidate country for membership in the European Union, should maximally utilize funds that are offered by EU and states that each year, Serbia has about 200 million from IPA funds. The Minister said that Niš municipality of Palilula, which implemented the project of renovation of Memorial Park "Bubanj", is one of the most successful municipalities in the region, with the degree and extent of use of IPA funds and will have the support of the ministries for other projects. She pointed out that cross-border projects, such is this in the municipality of Palilula, are very important and it will always support their implementation. In addition, she said, those who are among the best will have the advantage in obtaining financial assistance.

At the initiative for the establishment of a special national fund to support activities of cities and municipalities in Serbia, which was started by the municipality of Palilula, the Minister stated that the required system solution must be found. "We have a problem, you know yourself what the economic situation is, but there is a possibility, and one option is to find just the IPA funds to support projects for local governments. That's what I am about to discuss with the Minister of Economy Mr. Vujovic, how to use IPA funds, and I believe that we will find a solution, said Jadranka Joksimovic. It is important that the funds that are available to us in a good, transparent and accountable manner, in order to have the results. What we saw today in Palilula is a good example, and I really applaud the efforts of President Dzunic and municipal leadership that understand the possibilities that the use of Fund resources improve the quality of life of its citizens.

The head of the negotiating team in negotiations on the accession of Serbia to the EU Dr Tanja Miščević said that a large number of Serbian citizens support changes and reform by European standards. This is an indication that "we did not change to the European Union, but the understanding of what is good for us." Using IPA funds and conducting negotiations, we are slowly moving to a new system called the decentralized implementation system that will enable us that central government and local governments receive funding large-scale and important projects that are now entering the field of rural development, so much more than just agriculture, and issues relating to the protection of the environment and of course transportation and infrastructure construction.
The ability to use funds from EU in our country is at the very high level. The national IPA programs used over 85 percent of the cross-border projects and over 93 per cent of the national funds. This process is necessary to be learned. Only good projects and ideas can provide the necessary funds from the European Union.

Collaboration of Municipality of Palilula with partners in the region, the municipalities in Bulgaria, is being used for the promotion of their resources, and thus opened the possibility of economic cooperation, especially in the small and medium enterprises. Our work has been recognized by representatives of the EU that praised our work and highlighted as a good example in the region. However, this brings us to the key issue, "how and where to provide the necessary resources to support the implementation of projects in the EU," said Boban Džunić, president of Municipality of Palilula-Nis, in talks with representatives of the Government of Serbia. Džunić explained to the Minister Joksimovic what are the key problems faced by local authorities, institutions, civil society organizations, after obtaining the project. "For the realization of a larger project, the project will need to pre obtain funds to provide project and technical documents worth several thousand euros and then provide appropriate pre-financing. Because the principle is in these programs (such as the Neighborhood Program) that the project proposer consumes 20 percent of the funds that were transferred from the EU to fund pre-financing of the project, and to cover partner costs and the rest of the investment of their funds, and after the submitted financial and narrative reports and monitoring of the First Level Control of Ministry of Finance, it could request a refund and return of money spent. These are great resources, especially for the small and poor municipalities in southern Serbia, which typically are set in devastated category, among rural and underdeveloped areas. Palilula municipality with its 80,000 inhabitants, as the city municipality belonging to City of Nis, is one of the poorest municipalities in the Republic. Once upon a very strict procedure you get a project, you are faced with the fact that you do not have the funds for its implementation. Option is to give up, use adverse credit services of commercial banks or to provide appropriate support to the state. So far we have only had the support of the City of Nis and understanding of Nis Mayor Prof. Dr. Zoran Perisic.

In an interview with the Minister Jadranka Joksimovic and Dr. Tanja Miščević, president of Palilula municipality Boban Džunić initiated a search for an appropriate system solution, in order to support the project activities at the national level, according to the model of the neighboring countries that have recently joined the EU and have good results in this area.