Agreements on inclusion of local self-government units in database of projects financed through external sources (BEFS) have been concluded

In the ceremonial hall of Provincial Government on 5th of October 2021, presidents and representatives of 45 cities and municipalities from the territory of AP Vojvodina, signed agreements with the European Affairs Fund of AP Vojvodina on the inclusion of local self-governments in a comprehensive database (Base of European Funding Source- BEFS) about projects financed through external sources. The President of Provincial Government, Igor Mirović, stated on this occasion that from 2012 to 2019, the Provincial administration subsidized 488 projects with more than seven million euros. In that period, as he stated, the units of local self –government, with the support of Provincial Government in the amount of 3.2 million euros, realized 151 projects.
“It’s important that we are gathered around the projects. With the help of fund from European Union, we have done many important projects for the citizens of Vojvodina, with every justified bill, and in the coming period we will direct more and more funds to environmental protection and improvement of a local communal infrastructure”, said Mirović.
The director of the European Affairs Fund of AP Vojvodina, Aleksandar Simurdić, pointed out that the BEFS database should serve to obtain indicators that will be useful to the provincial administration in creating future public polices and strengthening institutional capacity of AP Vojvodina in order to use external sources of financing.
“This project should show that together, as three levels of government, with partners from European Union, in the upcoming period we can be even more concrete and efficient when it comes to available sources of funding”, said Simurdic. The head of cooperation in the Delegation of the European Union in Serbia, Nikola Bortolini, stated that we can do a lot together and that it’s extremely important to raise the awareness of a local communities and integrate the bearers of the economic and regional development.
As a part of a signing ceremony, Jovana Kontić, Advisor at the European Affairs Fund of AP Vojvodina, presented the results of the analysis of absorbed funds from external sources of financing on the territory of AP Vojvodina for the period between 2014 and 2020, conducted by the European Affairs Fund of AP Vojvodina for the Provincial Government needs. In the addition to the representatives of municipalities and cities from the territory of AP Vojvodina, the event was also attended by the Provincial Secretary for Finance, Smiljka Jovanović and the Provincial Secretary for Regional Development, Interregional cooperation and Local self-government, Aleksandar Sofić.