In 2013, on the basis of the signed Bilateral Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Serbia and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Norway, the Ministry of European Integration took over from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs the overall responsibility for the Bilateral Programme planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting. In accordance with this, and with the aim of strengthening national ownership of projects, MEI will − after deciding on projects to be financed in the current year − sign the agreements with domestic institutions, i.e. project beneficiaries. The project beneficiaries are accountable to MEI for their implementation and financial management, while MEI, on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Serbia, is accountable to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Norway for the overall implementation and management of the Bilateral Programme.
The Programme of Bilateral Assistance aims to support projects in the following areas:
• Rule of Law;
• Public Administration Reform;
• Competitiveness; and
• Energy efficiency, environment and climate change.
Projects are proposed by the competent ministries, special organizations of the Republic of Serbia and independent institutions that are accountable to the National Assembly, whose founder is the Government. The final list of projects financed from the Bilateral Programme for a given year is established in negotiations with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Norway.
Calls for project proposals within the Bilateral Programme for 2013, 2014 and 2015
- A total of 24 projects were received at the call for project proposals for financing from the Norwegian Bilateral Assistance in 2013. After the selection process, the financing of 6 projects was approved in the total amount of RSD 205,963,234.37.
- A total of 41 projects were received at the call for project proposals for financing from the Norwegian Bilateral Assistance in 2014. After the floods that affected the Republic of Serbia in May 2014, in consultations with the representatives of the Republic of Serbia, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Norway decided that the funds intended for funding the projects under the Norwegian Bilateral Programme for 2014 were to be re-purposed for flood recovery; hence no project was approved for funding on the basis of the call for project proposals for financing from the Norwegian Bilateral Assistance in 2014.
- A total of 47 projects were received at the call for project proposals for financing from the Norwegian Bilateral Assistance in 2015. Following the migrant crisis that affected the Republic of Serbia in 2015, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Norway decided that the funds intended for funding the projects under the Norwegian Bilateral Programme for 2015 were to be re-purposed to support migrants, therefore, prior to this decision, only one project was approved for financing on the basis of the call for project proposals for financing from the Norwegian Bilateral Assistance in 2015.