Belgrade, Serbia © Dave Colman/Shutterstock
Chapter 22 on cohesion policy is one of the most complex negotiating chapters Serbia has to deal with for EU accession. In this interview, Dragana Djurica provides crucial insights into the critical role of civil society, the importance of regional development, and the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead
Dragana Djurica is the Secretary General of the European Movement Serbia. Previously, she served as a Senior Expert at the Regional Cooperation Council Secretariat (RCC), where she spearheaded efforts to improve the economic competitiveness of the Western Balkans.
Could you summarize your recent research and the key findings ? How do you see the progress evolving in terms of implementing Chapter 22, and what are some of the major challenges or advancements you've observed?
The European Movement in Serbia is responsible for Chapter 22 within the National Convention on the EU, a platform that brings together CSOs across Serbia to monitor the country’s EU negotiation process. Besides this, one of the strategic pillars of our organization’s work is regional and local development, in addition to promoting EU integrations of Serbia and the Western Balkans region and regional cooperation of the Western Balkans,
Our work in regards to cohesion policy focuses on local and regional development and reduction of socio-economic disparities, which includes the contribution to the preparation of the Smart Specialization Strategy for our country on the basis of the "quadruple helix" model, which brings together representatives from institutions, businesses, academia, and civil society. We work closely with local communities, local CSOs and citizens outside Belgrade, which is crucial given the stark disparities within the country.
You should take into account that Serbia is very much Belgrade-centered. Actually, the capital region represents more than 40% of the national GDP, and the system is very centralized, with main decisions taken in Belgrade. The situation in this sense is very different in Belgrade as opposed to the rest of the country. Even though over 100 local communities have developed their own local strategies with the support of the Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities, a comprehensive national strategy for regional development has been missing for over 14 years, and this is a major challenge. This is why Chapter 22 is vital for Serbia; we hope to create necessary structures for cohesion policy and access to structural funds in order to address critical regional disparities, but also support our convergence with the EU . In this respect, local authorities outside Belgrade require capacity building, as well as the Civil society at the local level, as they have to be partners in the decision-making process. This is why we focus our activities mostly outside of Belgrade.
Formal negotiations on Chapter 22 have not yet begun. The Serbian government should accelerate the adoption of a legislative framework for the management of cohesion policy and the creation and implementation of the national development strategy to define strategic goals, priorities, and investment plans for regional and local development. The Progress report of the European Commission for the last years spoke about limited progress precisely for this reason. The Ministry of European Integration has finalized the Draft law on Cohesion over the course of the past year, public consultations were held with civil society and it was a good experience. We submitted our comments to the draft legislation on cohesion last and this year, and now we strongly advocate for its adoption without further delay.
What are the main factors preventing the EU from speeding up the process of Serbia's accession, particularly in relation to Chapter 22?
As per recommendations of the European Commission, the Serbian government should make some revisions to the National Action Plan on Chapter 22 and adopt the measures suggested by the EU. Once we can demonstrate that we are implementing the Action Plan and have made progress, we hope that the EU will then invite us to submit our negotiating position, and formally open the negotiations on this Chapter.
How important is social partnership and capacity building for managing the large EU funds, and how could having institutions and authorities participate as observers in the European Union bodies enhance their readiness for when these funds become available?
Social partnership is crucial for the definition of the national strategy on regional and local development and it will also represent one of the cornerstones of the Cohesion policy. Moreover, one should recall that the Cohesions funds constitute about 1/3rd of the EU budget. Being able to access it and properly absorb them is clearly crucial. This is why we think that we should gradually be allowed to access the Cohesion policy and its instruments, and we see this important and without significant risk for the EU and its budget - the worst thing that could happen is that we do not utilize the opportunities, whereas successful gradual access would prepare us for full integration and minimize the risk of absorption shocks. Another important aspect of this gradual integration idea that we advocate for is to allow us to experience participation as observers in the work of EU institutions.
I participate in the European Economic and Social Committee as a member of their Enlargement Candidates Initiative, and it is a very valuable experience and a good example of this “phasing in” of the enlargement countries to the EU. A similar thing can be done with representatives of our authorities, for example, relevant Serbian national institutions should be admitted as observers in the European Union relevant bodies , as this will help them gain experience and be prepared for the accession in general, as well as particularly for cohesion funds when they become available.
When do you expect Serbia to obtain access to EU cohesion funds, and what efforts should be taken to ensure readiness?
It is well known that cohesion funds are available to Member States. While I am hopeful for this status for my country, we must first lay a firm foundation for this to happen. This entails having the necessary legislation, national action plans, and institutions in place , , along with capacitated human and other resources. The Ministry of European Integration has extensive knowledge, but local authorities throughout Serbia, particularly in smaller towns, require major capacity building.
Furthermore, civil society, particularly outside of Belgrade, has insufficient knowledge and capacities on cohesion and the EU integration process, which inhibits their preparation. As a result, I call for the gradual, progressive opening of the funds. Gradual access to cohesion and structural instruments and funds would enable us to successfully implement the policies while also ensuring that we do not miss out on opportunities to use them.
How does the experience with Interreg funds inform Serbia's readiness for larger EU cohesion funds?
Interreg emphasizes the significance of cross-border cooperation with neighboring countries. Joint responses to common challenges such as environment protection and socio-economic development, disparities between cities and the countryside are similar all over the region. Interreg projects serve as important opportunities for cooperation in handling these regional disparities, giving insights into best practices. They assist in aligning Serbian policies with those of the EU, particularly in terms of waste management and ecotourism among others. This knowledge acquired from Interreg can multiply Serbia’s eligibility for EU Cohesion Funds and contribute to its integration to the E
----
This publication was produced within the framework of the project ‘EU Cohesion Policy Programming: Chapter 22 Exchange Programme in Albania and North Macedonia’, financed by the CEI Fund of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) with the contribution of Italy. The CEI Fund is in no way responsible for the information or views expressed within the framework of the project. Responsibility for content lies solely with OBC Transeuropa
