EU provides another support package worth EUR 24 million
EU Delegation at Social Protection Fair in Belgrade. Degert: Next EU support package in this area amounts to EUR 24.6 million.
Serbian Minister of Labour and Social Policy Rasim Ljajić opened today in Belgrade the first Social Protection Fair, bringing together more than 130 exhibitors who will show to the visitors what the social protection system has to offer to its users.
Opening the Fair, Ljajić said that partnership and cooperation with NGO’s, municipalities and all other stakeholders who can contribute to development of social welfare system were important for preservation of this system.
"I think that Serbia is at the forefront of producing different types of strategies, we have a strategy in almost every area, but I am not so sure that we always excel in implementing them," Ljajić said and added that the majority of the Social Security Strategy has indeed been implemented.
Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Vincent Degert said that social inclusion takes its true meaning in the time of crisis and that commitment must be shown in providing support to those in need.
"We must figure out our priorities, and these are chiefly children, and we must offer the best possible solutions for them," Degert said and pointed out that the number of foster families in Serbia has grown.
Listing the EU-funded projects in the area of social protection in Serbia, Degert highlighted the EUR 3 million project for children with special needs implemented in 41 municipality in Serbia, additional EUR 1.4 million for a network of residential institutions and EUR 11 million for education of marginalised groups.
"Allow me to present a concrete example – last September, some 2,800 young people participated in our “Second Chance” project worth EUR 4 million. These young people had dropped out of school but returned in order to secure better education and better future for themselves," Degert said.
Head of the EU Delegation also stated that some 4.7 million EUR has been disbursed for the infrastructure and services necessary to people with special needs, that the EU has contributed EUR 64 million in the past 10 years to help solve the refugee issue, and that 600 buildings housing 4,000 people have been built in the past 3 years.
The next EU support package amounts to EUR 24.6 million and will be spent on the projects aimed at employment, education and local social services for vulnerable groups, Degert said.
There are more than 130 exhibitors taking part in the Fair, including the institutions housing 18,500 users of social protection services, family and adoption centres which take care of more than 5,500 children in foster care and centres for social services which served more than a million of users in 2011.
Municipalities and cities, NGO’s working with children, young people, victims of violence and human trafficking and elderly people also participate in the Fair, as well as social protection Unions.