EU: EUR 1.5 billion for Serbia

BRUSSELS - Serbia can count on more than EUR 1.5 billion from the Instrument of Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) over the next 6 years, the European Commission said on Friday.

Spokesperson of the enlargement commissioner Peter Stano presented to reporters the EU plans for assistance to candidates for membership from the so called IPA-2 funds, covering the period until 2020, and he said that he had some good news for the countries in the enlargement region.

According to the list made public on Friday, Serbia will get EUR 1.5 billion in this period.

The new thing in the IPA-2 programme is that the funds are given ou according to a simplified procedure, which candidates to be more flexible in setting the priorities for their use, Stano explained.

The funds are meant to be used on structural reforms and improvements to regional cooperation, he stated.

According to the plan, Turkey will get the largest portion, almost EUR 4.5 billion, followed by Serbia with EUR 1.508, Albania, Macefonia and Kosovo with around EUR 650 million each and Montenegro with EUR 250 million.

Iceland and Bosnia-Hercegovina are not included in the programme, since Iceland has withdrawn its application for membership in the EU, while Bosnia-Herzegovina has not established a mechanism that would coordinate the use of the funds, Stano pointed out.

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