Preparation of 15 new infrastructure projects in the environment, energy and transport sectors is ongoing

Belgrade, June 5th 2019

EU Project Preparation Facility (EU PPF) program was presented in Belgrade today, which will enable the preparation of technical and tender documentation for 15 new infrastructure projects worth over 900 million euros (885 million investments + € 21 million TA). Infrastructure projects are of critical importance for better living standard of citizens: among them are modernization of railways, construction of wastewater treatment plants in several cities, as well as introduction of energy efficiency in public institutions in Serbia.

The EU PPF program is funded by the European Union from pre-accession funds (IPA 2013, 2014) with a total budget of 21 million euros. The EU donation equals to €19.7 while the Government of Republic of Serbia contribution is €1.29 million. The EU PPF has a twofold aims: it promotes preparation for modern and sustainable infrastructures in Serbia as well as strengthening technical and administrative capacities of the administration of the Republic of Serbia with regards to the management and use of the EU pre-accession funds, in order to speed up preparations for EU membership

During the event, Memorandums of Understanding were signed for submission of technical and tender documentation that is under preparation by the EU PPF expert team for three projects: Remediation and revitalization of Grand Backa Canal, Construction of wastewater collection and treatment system in Kraljevo and Modernization of Velika Plana – Niš railway line.

More about the project:

EU PPF ProgrammeEU Project Preparation Facility” represents technical assistance financed from the European Union pre-accession funds. The value of the programme is €21 million, out of which EU donation equals to €19.7 while the Government of Republic of Serbia contribution is €1.29 million. The EU PPF aims to strengthen technical and administrative capacities of the administration of the Republic of Serbia with regard to the management and use of the EU pre-accession funds, in order to speed up preparations for EU membership.

The EU PPF is focused on preparation of technical and tender documentation for infrastructure projects related to energy, environment and transport sectors, as well as on organization of more than 70 capacity-building trainings for representatives of the relevant local and national institutions. With the assistance provided through the EU PPF programme, the necessary documentation for 15 major projects in the field of transport, energy and environment is under preparation, with a potential total investment worth over 900 million euros (€885 million investments + € 21 million TA). Geographical area covered within the scope of EU PPF infrastructure projects are: Loznica, Pančevo, Kraljevo, Brus, Blace, Sokobanja, Kragujevac, Užice, Arilje, Požega, Kosjerić, Ivanjica, Aranđelovac, Knić, Rekovac, Belgrade, Kladovo, Vrbas.

A special task within the programme is professional assistance in the update and structural adjustment of the multi-year planning document for development assistance (National Priorities for International Assistance, or NAD) for the period 2014–2017, with projections until 2020. In addition, the EU PPF is assisting the Ministry of European Integration and line ministries in programming of the pre-accession funds for 2018, 2019, and 2020, as well as in developing the new NAD document for the period 2019–2025 in order to precisely define Serbia’s requirements for international assistance.

The EU PPF programme is managed by the Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Serbia and the Ministry of Finance (Department of Contracting and Financing of European Union Funded Programmes, CFCU). The Ministry of European Integration is the programme’s key beneficiary, monitoring the technical and administrative implementation of the programme. The beneficiaries of the EU PPF programme’s technical assistance also include many line ministries: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management (and Water Directorate), Ministry of Environmental Protection, Ministry of Mining and Energy, Ministry of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure, Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs, Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Government, Ministry of Youth and Sports, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Economy, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

From 2007 to date, the EU secured over 53 million Euros of non-refundable grants to Project Preparation Facility programmes, out of which 17 million Euros have already been disbursed for the upgrading of Serbian Administration capacities in management of pre-accession funds and in the preparation of some 11 projects mainly at municipal level. For instance, EU PPF supported in the past the preparation of the full documentation up to Tender Dossier for the Subotica Regional waste management center which construction is now completed and about to be taken over by the Regional Public Utility Company. Project documentation and Tender Dossiers were also prepared by EU PPF for Brus, Blace and Kraljevo Waste Water Treatment Plants, as well as Nis-Brestovac railway Project, whose construction is expected to begin in the coming year.

To the amount already disbursed, the currently implemented 21 million Euros are increasing the number of projects prepared with EU PPF support to 26, while additional 15 million euros have been secured (under IPA 2016 and IPA 2018 programmes) to get continued the EU support to the development of modern and sustainable infrastructures in Serbia and to speed up preparations for EU membership.

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Sanja Babić
Senior Communication and Visibility Expert EU PPF
PPF6/EuropeAid/135637/IH/SER/RS | PPF8/EuropeAid/137044/DH/SER/RS
sbabic@ppf.rs +381 63 509 427