On December 12, 2024, the Fifth meeting of the Strategic Board for Cross-Border Cooperation between Bulgaria and Serbia was held in Niš, Serbia, at the Regional Chamber of Commerce. The meeting was opened by co-chairs Mrs. Tatjana Panić-Živković, Director of the "South" Regional Development Agency in Serbia, and Mr. Zlatko Zhivkov, Mayor of Montana Municipality in Bulgaria. During the meeting, key topics were discussed that will shape the future of cooperation between the two countries in the areas of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and services of general interest.
Among the important issues was the presentation of an initiative for indirect support for SMEs, introduced by Mr. Boiko Takov, PhD, Executive Director of the Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion Agency. This initiative aims to support SMEs in the cross-border region, with special measures for start-ups being developed within a pilot initiative. The members of the board raised questions about the selection of participants and clarified that the focus will be on SMEs, although start-ups will also be included. It was discussed how sectoral analyses will cover not only specific regions but the entire cross-border area, and how these analyses will serve as a basis for future EU-funded business programs. The board members supported the idea of developing a full project proposal, which will be submitted for approval in the coming months.
A representative from the Managing Authority of the program presented the conceptual framework for services of general interest, discussing examples of similar non-economic initiatives implemented in other programs. During the following discussion, the board members focused on the potential for the digitalization of public services, such as traffic monitoring and border crossing congestion, digitalization of municipal services, and waste management. The main emphasis was on digitalization as a strategic sector, which will receive support in future projects.
Although significant progress was made on the main topics, the board members decided to allocate additional time to finalize their proposals regarding sectors, selection criteria, eligibility of candidates, and the amount of support. This led to the decision to organize an online meeting in the second half of January 2025, which will provide additional opportunities to finalize work on these issues.
The meeting concluded successfully, with participants expressing positive feedback about the session. The special guest, Mrs. Margarita Grantcharska-De Muynck from the Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy of the European Commission, congratulated everyone on the effectiveness of the meeting and highlighted the importance of cross-border cooperation for the future development of the region. Based on the discussions, the participants reaffirmed their commitment to continue working on projects that will strengthen cooperation between Bulgaria and Serbia and have a positive impact on the region's sustainable development.
