All along 20 years, Bulgaria and Serbia have been implementing joint projects under the cross-border cooperation program between the two countries.
Our cooperation to improve the quality of life on both sides of the border dates back to 2004 with the Neighborhood Programme from 2004 to 2006, and continued as a sustainable partnership during the following program periods 2007-2013 and 2014-2020.
As part of the large family of European programs for territorial cooperation INTERREG, the focus of the Program is on addressing common problems with joint solutions and actions to achieve a balanced and sustainable development of the cross-border region between Bulgaria and Serbia.
During the program period 2014-2020 INTERREG IPP Bulgaria - Serbia with a budget of over 34 million euros, we finance 106 projects in the field of tourism, the environment and youth measures with the participation of 242 partner organizations from both countries.
50 are investment projects for over 27 million euros, which carry out activities on the restoration of cultural and historical tourist sites, construction of small infrastructure, cooperation with youth activities, development of joint systems for early warning and disaster management, infrastructure for natural retention of water and flood protection, protection and restoration of transboundary ecosystems, protection and improvement of soil, air and water, etc.
With over 8 million euros, we supported 56 "soft" projects to create networks and partnerships to facilitate the exchange of knowledge between schools or countries in the border region, equipping computer rooms for training young people in various professional and general competencies, creating youth networks and youth volunteer centers, development of web catalogues, films and mobile applications with tourist information, equipment and costumes for various cultural formations, organization of joint concerts, performances, sports events and competitions, outdoor schools, environmental training and much more.
In a series of publications, which we called "Explore the cooperation, discover the benefits", we will tell you about the results of the implemented projects and the achievements of the joint efforts of the partners from both sides.
