Roundtable Challenges and Prospects for the rural communities in the process of Serbia's accession to the EU

Center for European Integration of Belgrade Open School and the Office for European Integration of the Republic of Serbia, in cooperation with the Municipality of Coka, organized a roundtable on "Challenges and Prospects for the rural communities in the process of Serbia's accession to the European Union'', 6th September 2012. in the Community Building Padej.

At the roundtable, participants were: Zoran Sretić from the Office for European Integration of the Republic of Serbia, Branislava Milic from the German Society for International Cooperation and Alexander Bogunović from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management.

''Rural Development, as a policy, the overall goal of economic, social and cultural environment of the rural communities in which agricultural production takes place. In other words, it attempts to free the other economic resources of the rural areas and open up prospects for the young labor force in rural communities,'' said Zoran Sretić from the Office for European Integration of the Republic of Serbia. Sretić added that nearly 60 percent of the EU population lives in rural areas, which cover 90 percent of its territory, and thus for the EU agriculture very important area of regulation.

''The real needs of rural people are often marginalized by the decision makers, not only in planning ways of supporting the countryside, but also in implementation-planned activities and measures'' said Branko Milic from the German Society for International Cooperation, adding that critical policy makers to understand the different needs and aspirations of the rural population in different parts of Serbia, in order to effectively represent their interests, but also better use the advantages of European integration.

''The space for consultation between the central government and other stakeholders of rural development is not question, because - it is our obligation,'' said Alexander Bogunović from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management. He said that partnerships built from the ground up, so it is logical that local authorities first identify and establish cooperation with stakeholders of rural development in their territory. '' Without toglokalnog partnership or by the local government will not be able to define its quality program of rural development'', recalled Bogunović.

The roundtable was implemented within the final phase of the project Capacity building of Serbia's accession to the European Union, realized by Belgrade Open School and the Office for European Integration of the Republic of Serbia. The project is financially supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Norway.