NEWSLETTER No. 10

Theme: Timok Region activities

STRENGTHENING TRANSNATIONAL COOPERATION

The first meeting of the Work Group took place in November in Knjazevac, and the second one in the period from 12 to 14 December 2003 in Timisoara (Romania), and they were organized by the Timok Club from Knjazevac and the Euro-Regional Centre for Democracy from Timisoara.

The Work Group meetings addressed the strengthening and improvement of transnational cooperation among the countries in the Balkans. 

The Work Group participants were representatives of non-governmental organizations from Bulgaria, Romania, Macedonia and Serbia as well as representatives of East East Programme by the Fund for an Open Society from Bucharest (Romania). 

       The Work Group meetings were realized with the financial support from the Fund for an Open Society -  East East Programme from Belgrade.

SUPPORT PROGRAMME FOR MUNICIPALITIES

EUROPEAN UNION SUPPORT TO SERBIA
EU PROVIDES 15 MILLION EUROS FOR LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT IN SERBIA

A Donation Agreement for the programme of support to 15 municipalities of East Serbia was signed in Zajecar on 2 December 2003. The agreement was signed by Director of European Agency for Reconstruction, Mr Richard Zink and Deputy Prime Minister of the Government of the Republic of Serbia, Mr Dusan Mihajlovic. At the same time, an office that would run the project was opened and Mr Vladan Jeremic was appointed director. The ceremony in Zajecar was also attended by Head of the European Commission Delegation in Serbia and Montenegro, Mr Geoffrey Barrett, and the acting Minister of Government Administration AND Local Self-Government, Mr Ivica Ezdenci.

The EU provided funding - 15 million euros and training for the development of local self-government in Serbia for 15 municipalities in East Serbia: Kladovo, Majdanpek, Negotin, Bor, Zajecar, Knjazevac, Sokobanja, Boljevac, Svrljig, Pirot, Babusnica, Bela Palanka, Dimitrovgrad, Vlasotince and Crna Trava.

The project, which is to last for two years, is managed by European Agency for Reconstruction, in cooperation with the Ministry of Government Administration and Local Self-Government and Permanent Conference of Towns and Municipalities, but the biggest responsibility in performing this big work belongs to the very municipalities.

Director of European Agency for Reconstruction, Mr Richard Zink, has declared that most municipalities are faced with a huge rate of unemployment and quite a long list of development projects which cannot be realized due to lack of funding. The training will be vital in order to ensure a long-term success of work. Mr Zink has said that European Union experts will provide assistance to local managers so that they would develop their managing abilities with a view to better realization, understanding and managing of the project. 

The European Union expects Serbia to develop a much more independent system of local self-government, whose task will be: better public management and revitalization of regional economy, which would strengthen democracy in Serbia and support general efforts towards the enhancement of economic growth. This is exactly why the informal title of the project is THINK GLOBALLY, ACT LOCALLY.

POVERTY REDUCTION STRATEGY 

The Government of the Republic of Serbia has adopted the Poverty Reduction Strategy for Serbia, and the process of  implementation and participation of the civil society in the realization of the Poverty Reduction Strategy is in progress.

On Poverty Reduction Strategy: In September 1999, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) acquainted the public with the Poverty Reduction Strategy (SSS), i.e., with a new approach to their programmes - a loan to poor countries. SSS is a concrete way of connecting debt reduction, struggle against poverty and participation of the civil society in the development of policies that influence the lives of the poor. The Strategy implies a plan for the national development of the country, focused on poverty reduction and not declarative civil society participation and on a primarily advisory role and not the role of the World Bank and IMF as executive authority, as well as coordination of financial support and programmes of loans of official donors in accordance with the Strategy.

The Network Serbia without Poverty is made up of nine partners - local non-governmental organizations from 15 towns of Serbia.

The Network members want the voice of the poor to be heard and acknowledged from the very beginning of their work on the Strategy, through work and conversation with the poor.

The Timok Club is one of the partners of the Network Serbia without Poverty, and has been a very active participant in all the activities from the very beginning.

Hundreds of citizens have been interviewed in street actions, the citizens have asked a lot of questions, a lot of material with thorough information on Poverty Reduction Strategy has been distributed, a lot of volunteers have participated in the activities, the local media have been animated and have covered all the actions, and a lot of people have been telephoning the Timok Club Office with various ideas and proposals related to the Strategy.

In October and November, the Timok Club realized street actions in Zajecar, Knjazevac and the villages Kalna and Vasilje.