At the opening of the Fair “EU and Serbia at Work”, Acting Head of Mission of the EU Delegation to Serbia Oskar Benedikt recalled that the EU has over the past 15 years extended over three billion Euros of support to projects encouraging development and specific reforms and benefitting the population.
“I would, however, like to emphasise that it’s not all about money, that it is much more about the values shared by all EU citizens: freedom, democracy, human rights, respect for diversity and fostering partnership relations,” Benedikt said, adding that the EU would remain Serbia’s leading partner in its further development.
The Fair was also attended by a delegation of the Deputy Heads of Mission of European countries, which, headed by Benedikt, paid a two-day visit to South-East Serbia. During their visit, the guests saw the direct results of the European countries’ financial support to Serbia.
A presentation of the EU’s support to flood-stricken parts of the country and the results of Serbia’s cross-border cooperation with its neighbours were showcased at the Fair.
Successful examples of support to social entrepreneurship and small and medium-sized enterprises were some of European PROGRES’ results presented at the Fair. These companies displayed their products and demonstrated how the EU supported businesses and contributed to the economic empowerment of vulnerable groups.
As they strolled by the projects’ stalls brimming with a rich variety of goods, the visitors had the opportunity to try the delicious ajvar and fruit preserves produced by a Bosilegrad social enterprise, the Vlasina honey that will soon obtain its geographical indication of origin certificate, the cheese produced by the family dairy “Veličković“ in Surdulica, as well as to see the offers of the “Stara Planina“ tourist cluster rallying around 30 households that may be the ideal place to spend one’s summer and winter holidays on Stara Planina. The representatives of the Babušnica association “Lužničke rukotvorine”, who have been provided with a greenhouse and began organic production thanks to EU and Swiss Government support, presented the first produce they have grown, fresh strawberries, red currants and peppers.
Apart from its local gender equality mechanism implementing a women’s economic empowerment project, Svrljig was also represented by the textile company “Free Selection” and entrepreneur Sunčica Ranđelović, who were donated sewing and printing machines through European PROGRES.
The Fair visitors had the opportunity to see the exhibition of photographs “EU for Serbia”, which visually depicts the successful examples of Serbian-EU cooperation in various areas – from support to local development, infrastructure and economic projects, support to refugees and displaced persons, to projects fostering culture and inclusive education.
Participants in the thematic panel discussions organised during the Fair discussed the specific benefits citizens could have from Serbia’s involvement in various EU programmes. The concept of the new EU programme of support to local development EU PRO, the implementation of which will begin next year, was presented to the representatives of local self-governments.
