BELGRADE – Serbia and the European Union have signed a Financing Agreement under the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA III), worth 219.9 million euros for the period 2025–2027. Serbia will support the implementation of significant projects with additional funds of 80.5 million euros, thereby demonstrating its readiness to implement, together with the EU, reforms that bring concrete changes to the lives of citizens, it is stated in the announcement of the Ministry of European Integration. On behalf of Serbia, the Agreement was signed by the State Secretary in the Ministry of European Integration and National IPA Coordinator Mira Radenović Bojić, and on behalf of the European Commission, the Director for the Western Balkans in the Directorate-General for Enlargement and Neighbourhood East Valentina Superti.
Radenović Bojić emphasized that this support enables Serbia to continue reforms that strengthen institutions, improve public services and bring progress to all parts of our country. “This is an investment in a Serbia that is advancing, that relies on knowledge and innovation, and in which citizens can feel the concrete results of our joint work,” said Radenović Bojić. The Head of the EU Delegation in Serbia Andreas von Bekerat stated that the EU wants Serbia to join that community as a fully democratic state, and that the EU’s pre-accession support is designed to help Serbia strengthen its democratic institutions, advance key reforms and prepare to fully take advantage of all the opportunities that membership in the Union brings. “We want a strong Serbia in our European family and we will continue to stand by it every step of the way in the accession process,” he said. The Agreement provides for support in areas such as the rule of law, good governance and economic development, including the improvement of the system of support for victims and witnesses, the continuation of the fight against corruption and various forms of crime, including environmental crime, as well as the protection of fundamental human rights and the provision of legal aid to internally displaced persons.
Support is also ensured for the continuation of the European integration process and further alignment with EU regulations, and special attention is devoted to creating an enabling environment for the development of small and medium-sized enterprises, local development and the promotion of science and innovation in the local context. The announcement states that the agreement clearly confirms the importance of EU support for Serbia, as it enables further development and progress through investments in innovation, digital transformation, as well as the improvement of public services and local infrastructure. At the same time, it contributes to better protection of vulnerable groups and farmers, gradual alignment with European standards and improvement of the quality of institutional services. (16 December)
