Joksimovic: EU To Give EUR18 Million To Help With Consequences of Coronavirus

Joksimovic: Plan for Serbia to Adopt EU Standards by 2020/2021

Serbian Minister of European Integrations and National IPA Coordinator Jadranka Joksimovic signed on Sept. 10 a set of amendments and supplements to a financial agreement on EU budget aid for reforming public administration which will enable EUR18 million in unspent funds to be channeled to the budget for overcoming the socio-economic consequences of the crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

A statement said that Joksimovic had initiated talks with the EU Delegation in Belgrade on the subject of using unspent funds as part of a program for budget support in the area of reforming public administration for reducing the socio-economic impact of the health crisis.

"I sent a plea in March to commissioner [Oliver] Varhelyi for redirecting unspent IPA funds to help cope with the health crisis and overcome the negative socio-economic consequences of the pandemic. The signing of this agreement secures EUR18 million in direct EU aid," Joksimovic said.

She added that "sector budget support is one of the most suitable models for implementing the support" as it envisaged the direct transfer of grants to Serbia most likely in 2021.