The call for the strategic project under the Bulgaria-Serbia CBC Programme 2021-2027 is launched

The Territorial Strategy Steering Board was also established

The first call under the new Bulgaria-Serbia CBC Programme was launched after the Monitoring Committee approved the application guidelines. The call is aimed at implementing the strategic project, which will make the management of natural disasters in the border region significantly more effective. This was made clear at the opening of the first meeting of the Monitoring Committee of the Bulgaria-Serbia 2021-2027 programme, which was held in Nis. The project will improve the skills of rescue teams, remove administrative and legal obstacles to their working together, purchase new equipment and train the population for crisis response.

More than 8 million euros are earmarked for the implementation of the strategic project. The beneficiaries of the project are the Directorate General “Fire Safety and Population Protection”, the Ministry of Interior of Serbia, the Academy of the Ministry of Interior and the National Association of Volunteers in the Republic of Bulgaria.

The other direction in the new programme between Bulgaria and Serbia is direct support for small and medium-sized businesses. Businesses in the region will have 6.5 million euros available for technological modernisation, increasing their capacity and finding new markets.

For the implementation of Priority 2 “Integrated development of the cross-border region” the specially developed Territorial Strategy will be followed. It will be managed by a Steering Board, which held its inaugural meeting in Niš. The Territorial Strategy focuses on the development of sustainable tourism and culture in the region and in the acquisition of new knowledge and skills in the fields of business, education, public activities and digitisation. More than EUR 23 million have been earmarked for projects in these areas. The opening of measures under the strategy will start in the first half of 2023.