About the donor
The project is co-financed by the European Union within the framework of the financial instrument of pre-accession assistance (IPA II) through the Cross-Border Cooperation Program Serbia – North Macedonia 2016-2020. The contract for co-financing with the funds of the European Union was signed with the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Serbia – Sector for Contracting and Financing of Programs from the Funds of the European Union.
IPA II supports cross-border cooperation with a view to promoting good neighborly relations, fostering Union integration, and promoting socio-economic development.
The Cross-Border Cooperation Programme between the two countries has been designed following a detailed analysis of the programme area and the findings from the situation and SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analyses. The programme area is located in the central and southern part of the Balkan Peninsula, comprising, on one side, the southern part of central Serbia with the districts of Jablanica and Pcinja and, on the other side, the north-eastern part of North Macedonia with the North-East Region and part of the Region of Skopje. The eligible area covers 10,197 km² with approximately 732,000 people residing in 30 municipalities.
The programme’s overall objective is to strengthen good neighborly relations, establish partnerships, and contribute to the development of a vibrant programme area by connecting its people and resources in a sustainable way.
The programme’s thematic priorities are:
Thematic Priority 1: Promoting employment, labour mobility, and social and cultural inclusion across the border;
Thematic Priority 2: Encouraging tourism and cultural and natural heritage;
Thematic Priority 3: Technical assistance;