EU PROGRES

The first public call for funding local infrastructure projects in 25 South and South West Serbian municipalities, extended by the European Partnership with Municipalities Programme - PROGRES in mid December 2010, officially closed today. 

Twenty-four municipalities drafted and submitted 27 proposals for the funding of municipal infrastructure projects.

“We are satisfied with the number of project proposals we received. We hope that the projects are of high quality and address the needs of the citizens,” said Ms. Jasmina Ilić, Manager of the Infrastructure Component, one of the four PROGRES components. 

The European Union and Government of Switzerland have allocated one million euros to fund the projects selected as the best ones. The value of an individual project may not exceed 100,000 euros and the municipality will have to co-fund at least 10% of the total project value.

The funds will be used to support projects aimed at improving the communal infrastructure, such as the water supply, sewage or heating system; the social infrastructure, which may inter alia involve work on improving the conditions in schools and kindergartens; the economic infrastructure to advance the conditions for attracting investors and opening of new jobs; as well as projects aimed at environmental protection. 

PROGRES will review and evaluate the submitted project proposals and select the ones that will be conferred grants by the end of April. Their implementation is expected to begin in June 2011.