Civil society, the media, and the rule of law are in focus of the third day of the European Opportunity Week, with the EU Ambassador to Serbia – Emanuele Giaufret and Tomislav Žigmanov, Minister of Human and Minority Rights and Social Dialogue officially opened the even at the European House in Belgrade.

The message conveyed by this event is that the EU views civil society as a critical component of any functioning democracy. It is in Serbia’s best interest to nurture a strong civil society, but freedom of expression and media are also fundamental pillars of a functional democracy. In the coming years, EU support to the media in Serbia will be aimed at creating a favourable environment for freedom of speech; strengthening the association of journalists and media professionals and fostering professionalism and independence in the media, together with public interest journalism.

“It is my pleasure to welcome you to the third day of the European Opportunity Week, dedicated to civil society, the media and the rule of law. These sectors are the foundation of the European project. The EU strives to ensure that human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality and the rule of law are maintained in all EU member states, fostering unity and trust among peoples, making the Union not only an economic force, but also a beacon of shared value”, Ambassador Giaufret said.

He added that these sectors are the cornerstone of Serbia’s EU accession process:

“Progress in areas such as the functioning of democratic institutions, the fight against corruption, freedom of expression or an independent judiciary will continue to determine the overall pace of accession negotiations. This means that in the absence of progress in these areas, we will not be able to open the remaining clusters and chapters.”

That is why the EU expects Serbia to accelerate reforms in these areas, and above all in the media sector, where Serbia should implement its Media Strategy and Action Plan without further delay, respecting the letter and spirit of the goals of the Strategy, the Ambassador concluded.

“We are truly better together, and thank you for that opportunity and possibility”, said Minister Žigmanov.

“I am especially glad that today we are in a new space, in the European House, in our house – in the right place for strengthening ties and common values. Thank you, EU, for this wonderful and joint project. I hope that this will be a place where citizens will participate in building the European future”, he said.

In the context of participation, the Minister highlighted the importance of civil society. For the sake of achieving general interests, goals and values, civil society has the opportunity to participate in political life. It contributes to each of the key elements of good governance, therefore it should be an essential partner in all state-led processes, said the Minister.

“One of the important types of support are EU programs for financing innovative projects, networking and exchange of experience and knowledge. One of the important programs for us is the CERV Programme, and you will have to opportunity to hear more about it today”, concluded Žigmanov, rounding off the address with the information that in our country, in the mentioned sector, at the moment there are as many as four projects approved by the European Commission, worth EUR 700,000.

The opportunities that the European Union offers to the citizens of Serbia were presented during numerous panels, and in cooperation with our esteemed partners. Thus, the Ministry of Human and Minority Rights and Social Dialogue presented the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme (CERV), the EU Resource Centre for civil society was discussed, and the opportunities within the Western Balkans Fund (WBF) and Creative Europe,  and many more.

If you are not able to follow the program live or online, you will be able to find all the sessions on the EU YT channel in Serbia, after October 7.

The European Opportunity Week, the second one in a row, is being held this year from September 23 to 27. The first four days cover the topics of business and innovation, culture, civil sector, media, education, youth and sports, local development, and the activities take place in the European House Belgrade. On the last day, panels on local development, territorial cooperation and green transition, as well as formal ceremonies and networking are held in Niš, at the “Tami” Hotel.

Find the detailed agenda and other details of the European Opportunity Week on the following page: https://eumogucnosti.rs/evropska-nedelja-mogucnosti/ 

During this event, you will have the opportunity to hear all about the most important European programs, projects and funds that are available in Serbia. Opportunities are numerous and include public calls, grants, loans, youth opportunities, student exchanges, competitions, skills development and free training.