Visit of the delegation of Vukovar-Srijem County to the European Affairs Fund of Autonomous Province of Vojvodina

The director of the European Affairs Fund of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, Aleksandar Simurdić, hosted the delegation of the Vukovar-Srijem County led by the Deputy Prefect Srđan Jeremić. The meeting was an opportunity to discuss topics of common interest in order to strengthen bilateral relations between entities from the territory of Autonomous Province of Vojvodina and Vukovar-Srijem County.
On that occasion, the Director of the Fund presented the current activities of the Fund with a special focus on cooperation with local governments, which aim to make a planned contribution to better use of local capacities to absorb funds through external sources of funding. The systematic approach to the local includes mapping the state and potential of Vojvodina’s cities and municipalities, planned strengthening of administrative and institutional capacities for more efficient administration in the service of citizens, as well as preparation and implementation of projects financed from external sources, as its integral program part.
During the meeting, the possibility of connecting and cooperating municipalities from the territory of AP Vojvodina and the territory of Vukovar-Srijem County in the field of economy, agriculture, tourism, green agenda (energy efficiency, waste management), prevention of natural disasters, culture and health was discussed.
Given that we are on the threshold of the new Multiannual Financial Framework 2021-2027, the meeting discussed the possibility of organizing a meeting to review the results of the analysis of absorbed funds through European Union funds in the period from 2014 to 2020, with a focus on Intereg IPA cross-border cooperation program Croatia – Serbia, with the desire to intensify cooperation between local governments, development agencies, academia and other economic entities from the territory of Autonomous Province of Vojvodina and Croatian counties: Osijek-Baranja County, Vukovar-Srijem County, Brod-Posavina County and Požega-Slavonia County, and with the aim of providing support through external sources of funding.
In light of the above, the meeting discussed the analysis of what has been done so far and the continuation of activities on the proposed cross-border project “Danube connects us”, which aims to strengthen institutional integration of national minorities, social and economic development of the cross-border area through joint projects and activities in which holders of the national minority are from the area of Vukovar-Srijem County and AP Vojvodina, and with which it would compete within the first call of the Intereg IPA cross-border cooperation program Croatia-Serbia 2021-2027.