Pajtić visited the cleaning of the Jegrička: Vojvodina leader in the attraction of EU funds

The president of the Government of Vojvodina, Bojan Pajtić SJD has visited the site between Zmajevo and Sirig, in the municipality of Temerin, where the Jegrička is being dredged. The dredging involvi

The president of the Government of Vojvodina, Bojan Pajtić SJD has visited the site between Zmajevo and Sirig, in the municipality of Temerin, where the Jegrička is being dredged. The dredging involving more than six kilometres of riverlength has been implemented within the Hungary-Serbia IPA Cross-border Cooperation Programme, within the project “Environmentally friendly water management in plane areas”. A length of 1.5 kilometres has been dredged so far, whereas according to the plans, the works are to be finished until April next year. The dredging of the river will cost EUR 185,215.

“The dredging of this part of the Jegrička, the only autochthonous river of Vojvodina that rises and flows on the territory of the province, has not been done for more than 30 years”, said the prime minister of the province Government after visiting the site and added that the dredging of the Jegrička would contribute to better flow and quality of water, as well as to the preservation of flora and fauna. Since the cleaning of the Jegrička riverbed has been done within the Hungary-Serbia IPA Cross-border Cooperation Programme, Pajtić reminded of the fact that Vojvodina achieved significant results with respect to the use of EU funds, through cross-border cooperation funds. “Since 2009, EUR 104.5 million has been attracted from IPA Cross-border Cooperation Programmes”, said Pajtić adding that approximately 87% of cross-border projects approved for Serbia were implemented in Vojvodina. In the period of five years, 281 cross-border projects were implemented in Vojvodina, and according to Pajtić, the province would continue with “the offensive use EU funds”.

Pajtić added that a large number of cross-border projects were implemented as a result of skilled administration at the province and local level and because of the fact that the province provided for the participating through financing, i.e. prefinancing of IPA projects because the applicants’ contribution involved 15% of funds. “Through the Development Fund of Vojvodina, we have provided funds for entities in Vojvodina that will submit applications under the cross-border cooperation programmes, and at the same time, we are supporting others to be as successful in attracting EU funds as we are”, said Pajtić adding that the European Affairs Fund of Vojvodina organised training courses and provided logistical support to municipalities in other parts of Serbia, so that they could attract EU funds. Mirko Adzić, vice director of PWMC “Vode Vojvodine“, pointed out that the dredging of the Jegrička was the third project under IPA cross-border cooperation programmes in which “Vode Vojvodine“ participated. The objective of the joint project with the water management company from Szeged was to link the competent institutions in Vojvodina and South Hungary being in charge of flood prevention and river flooding.