EU signs €70 million new pre-accession support package with Serbia

The uphill road to Serbia's accession to the European Union finally seems to be flattening out. On May 29, the agreement worth EUR 70 million under the European Union’s instrument for Pre-accession Assistence (IPA) for 2020, was signed by the Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia, Ambassador Sem Fabrizi, and the Minister of the European Integration and National IPA Coordinator Jadranka Joksimovic

The donations will support Serbia’s socio-economic development, employment, and social policies for the most vulnerable people. In particular, €30 million will be devoted to competition, agriculture, innovation and rural development, with grant support provided for up to 450 micro enterprises, start-ups and business in the less advanced areas of Serbia.

In the aftermath of the COVID-19 crisis, €25 million will be especially dedicated to strengthening surveillance capacities and response to communicable diseases as well as employment, education and social protection of most vulnerable groups. 

The European Union assistance to Serbia in these times of emergency reaffirms the strong European Union’s commitment to Serbia on its path to the EU.

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