Solidarity Fund provides EUR 80 mil for Serbia

(Photo: I.Vukša)

The Minister without portfolio in charge for the European integration, Jadranka Jokisimovic, says for RTS that Serbia, apart from the basic EUR 80 mil from IPA funds, will get additional EUR 80 mil of grants from the EU Solidarity Fund.

A portion of funds is expected by the end of the year, Joksimovic points out.

The first EUR 80 mil of grants will be provided from the funds we have not spent from EU IPA funds, Joksimovic said for Dnevnik RTS.

- Two weeks ago in Obrenovac, the Head of the EU Mission in Serbia, Mr. Davenport and I, signed the agreement for EUR 30 mil from IPA funds. The remaining EUR 50 mil is from IPA funds for 2014 will change the purpose for flood rehabilitation - Joksimovic outlines.

One portion out of EUR 30 mil will be available for the rehabilitation of flood- hit houses – the Minister Joksimovic says.

- They are planned for rehabilitation of 129 houses and all that goes with it. Out of EUR 30 mil, 14 is planned for rehabilitation, eight for agriculture, eight for public buildings and a part for flood protection – Joksimovic said.

Priorities for water, infrastructure and energy will be generated for the remaining EUR 50 mil, Joksimovic added.

The Minister without portfolio in charge for EU integrations pointed out that additional EUR 80 mil from the Solidarity Fund will not be used for houses and everything that is privately-owned but only for capital infrastructure.

- July 30 we applied and with respect to EU methodology, we expect to get EUR 30-40 mil of grants by the end of the year – Joksimovic says.

The minister outlined that EUR 400 mil, out of EUR 890 mil which Serbia gt at the Donors’ conference, are new loans offered by the World Bank and EBRD.

Japanese loan of EUR 40 mil, already discusses, has been offered before and is very favorable – Joksimovic says.

- It is a loan in yens with 0,01 interest rate and a grace period of 10 years. On the other hand, it does not mean we will not withdraw other loans as well but we will see what our indebtness option is. We will check the priority list with the Office for rehabilitation – Joksimovic said.

When it comes to EU, minister Joksimovic says the EU integration road is full of challenges and that the fact that there is no progress in screening in chapters 23 and 24 will not slow down the process.

Minister Joksimovic says these chapters are social segments difficult to reform and that action plans are recommended for them.

It is possible that chapters 23 and 14 realize in February or March, Joksimovic concludes.