European projects as an opportunity for the development of sport in AP Vojvodina

In cooperation with the Provincial Secretariat for Sports and Youth and Sports Association of Vojvodina, the representatives of the European Affairs Fund of Autonomous Province of Vojvodina have held a four-day training course under the title “EU Funding Opportunities” in October to train sport employees to develop and implement EU funded projects independently.

The participants familiarized themselves with the EU programmes currently available to institutions of the Republic of Serbia, which allow the funding of sport projects. Through theoretical and practical work, the participants acquainted themselves with the ways of project proposal submission for EU funds, necessary steps and procedures needed to be followed. The practical part of the training allowed the participants to apply their newly acquired knowledge and skills. Divided into working groups, the participants developed their project proposals, which could be submitted to apply for EU funds.

Special attention was paid to the presentation of the Hungary-Serbia Interreg IPA CBC Programme, within which the Second Call for Proposals with a total budget of EUR 21.5 million is open. Proposals can be submitted until 31 January 2017. The implementation of sport projects under the Programme would open the possibility for enhanced cooperation and exchange of experience between relevant sport institutions from Vojvodina and southern Hungary in the field of sports.

Moreover, the focus of trainees’ attention was on Erasmus+, the EU programme covering areas such as education, vocational training, youth and sports. The sport sub-programme is only a small part of Erasmus+, where greater opportunities for a more active participation of sports organizations from Serbia are expected in the future. The topics that will be ongoing under the Erasmus+ sub-programme covering the field of sport will include the development of European dimension in sport, support for transnational projects to support amateur sport and addressing challenges such as match-fixing, doping, violence, racism and any other form of intolerance and discrimination present in sport events and competitions. Among the important topics are improvement of governance, fostering gender equality, social inclusion and the promotion of physical activity for all.