The third day of EU Opportunities Week was held today in Kragujevac. The event, whose main message is “You Can Do It Too”, is organized by the Delegation of the European Union to Serbia and Europe House in cooperation with more than 50 national and international partners. Today’s focus was on local development and the green transition. The EU Day in our city was opened by the Ambassador of the European Union to Serbia, Andreas von Beckerath, while Deputy Mayor Dejan Ružić addressed the participants on behalf of the local self-government.
Recalling that the City of Kragujevac has been recognized as a local self-government that has made significant progress in the field of energy efficiency, as confirmed by the Eco-Municipality Award received in 2022, Ružić emphasized that projects aimed at improving the energy efficiency of public buildings remain in focus, with particular emphasis on schools, as well as direct support to citizens. For the fifth consecutive year, he noted, in cooperation with the competent ministry, subsidies have been granted for the replacement of windows and doors, heating systems and insulation, with the aim of making Kragujevac a greener and more suitable place to live.
Among the most recent major infrastructure projects implemented with the support of European Union funds, Ružić highlighted the reconstruction of the bridge in Šest Topola residential area, used by several thousand Fiat employees and citizens of Kragujevac. He added that the local self-government participates in every call for grants issued by the European Union in Serbia.
In addition to financial assistance, in the long term it may be even more important that through such calls for grants we acquire additional knowledge and strengthen the capacities of the local self-government in order to respond to the requirements of the green economy. Through the transfer of knowledge from our European partners, we will empower employees in the local self-government to provide even better and more numerous services to our citizens, who are already experiencing tangible benefits in cleaner air, Ružić concluded.
Emphasizing that Kragujevac, which he is visiting for the first time, deeply impressed him with its history, and particularly with the Sretenje Constitution, Ambassador von Beckerath assessed that this progressive and overly liberal document, focused on the individual rights of every citizen, represents a perfect link between our City and the fundamental values of the European Union.
EU Opportunities Week aims to explain to every citizen of Serbia all the opportunities offered by the European Union and to emphasize that, in the accession process, the individual must be placed at the centre. Reforms in the areas of the rule of law, media freedom and the electoral framework are not encouraged because Brussels demands them, but because they are beneficial and serve the interests of citizens, von Beckerath stated. He also announced that a Europe House will soon be opened in Kragujevac - a place where citizens will be able to obtain information, submit comments, engage in debate and learn more about EU programmes.
Today, in the heart of Šumadija, we are focusing on local development and the green transition, which are key to a better quality of life and sustainable economic growth. You will also be introduced to the “EU Integra” programme, which is the result of our joint efforts to improve development planning that contributes to social cohesion and more balanced regional development. Investing in the environment and in the green transition means investing in the future, the Ambassador said, inviting young entrepreneurs, farmers and students to take advantage of the available funds and programmes.
The opening lecture was delivered by urban planner Pietro Elisei, who referred to the strategic priorities of the European Union and the possibility of translating them into concrete activities at the local level. Participants in the third day of EU Opportunities Week attended numerous information sessions at which speakers who had already received funding shared their experiences. Deputy Mayor Dejan Ružić also spoke at one of the sessions, presenting initiatives and examples of good practice from the local self-government.
