On Tuesday, the Prime Minister of Serbia Ana Brnabić and the Ambassador of the European Union to Serbia Emanuele Giofre presented a new investment worth eight million euros, which should encourage the “green” transformation of the economy and society in Serbia.
According to Ambassador Giofre, Serbia adopted the Green Agenda Declaration in October 2020 at the Sofia Conference and pledged to implement its actions through the Regional Action Plan adopted at the summit in Slovenia in October 2021, the statement said.
The project “EU for the Green Agenda in Serbia – start, take action, expand” will support Serbia in implementing the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans.
“This new project arrives at the right time, a few weeks after EU member states confirmed the opening of negotiations for a cluster that, among other things, covers energy issues and environmental protection. That gives us a good motivation to expand our actions on all fronts and do everything we can to implement EU legislation in this area in Serbia,” said Giofre.
The new two-year initiative of the EU and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) is being implemented in cooperation with the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and the European Investment Bank (EIB).
“We will help Serbia improve strategies and policies, take concrete actions and increase investments for green transformation, especially in the areas of decarbonisation (reduction of dependence on fossil fuels), reduction of air, water and land pollution, circular economy, agriculture and food production, as well as biodiversity protection. This is great news and I am happy to be able to show our real commitment,” said Giofre.
During this project, we will support at least 23 green investments that are the most innovative and have the greatest expected effects – said Francine Pickup, UNDP Resident Representative.
“In order to start the green transition in Serbia – we all need to get involved, not only national and local authorities, but also public and private companies, banks, non-governmental organizations, scientific research institutions and citizens. UNDP will publish eight calls for innovative solutions in all areas under the Green Agenda. “We invite everyone who wants to contribute to positive changes and help the Serbian economy to become more competitive, cleaner and healthier for current and future generations – to apply for our competitions, which start at the end of February,” said Pickup.
Swedish Ambassador to Serbia Anika Ben David pointed out that her country is long-term committed to supporting Serbia’s path to the EU.
“As an EU member state and a leading donor in the field of environment and climate, we are pleased to join this initiative. “EU for the Green Agenda in Serbia” will contribute to setting high environmental standards to improve the environment and quality of life, encourage business investment and innovation, bringing EU experience and expertise, as well as launching inclusive dialogue and broad participation of various sections of society on concrete solutions to improve air quality and better water and waste management,” said Ambassador Ben David.
The head of the EIB’s regional office for the Balkans, Alessandro Bragonzi, said that sustainable development and ambitious climate goals can only be achieved by combining financial and professional technical support.
“This project symbolizes a new type of partnership, which is necessary for economic and green transition. Thanks to the significant financial contribution of the European Commission, and together with key international and partners from EU member states, the EIB as a European bank is proud to help Serbia progress in achieving its sustainability goals and implementing the Green Agenda through much-needed, targeted support to financial institutions, small and medium-sized clients, in order to be able to start projects, obtain finances and implement them efficiently. We are glad that our support will be mostly given to small and medium enterprises, which are the key drivers of development and innovation. Their green transformation, together with significant investments in renewable sources and energy efficiency, can pave the way for green and inclusive,” Brangozi pointed out, Biznis reports.
