The Department for European Territorial Cooperation Programmes performs tasks related to the following: participation in the establishment of an institutional structure of management, implementation and control of European territorial cooperation programmes involving the Republic of Serbia, as follows: cross-border cooperation programmes with Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Republic of North Macedonia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia, the Danube and Adriatic-Ionian transnational cooperation programmes, and the URBACT, INTERREG Europe and ESPON interregional cooperation programmes: cooperation with institutions responsible for establishing a system of indirect management of EU funds; tasks of the Managing Authority for cross-border cooperation programmes with Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of North Macedonia in indirect management; management of cross-border cooperation programmes implemented in indirect management; supervision of the results of the work of the Intermediary Body for Financial Management, as well as first-level control/control body; preparing and submitting to the National Authorising Officer annual management statements for the previous financial year for programmes under their jurisdiction, including annual financial reports; assigning joint bodies for programmes involving the Republic of Serbia; programming, management, monitoring and reporting on programmes; participation in the activities of the Republic of Serbia in the preparation and implementation of EU macro-regional strategies (EU Strategy for the Danube Region and EU Strategy for the Adriatic-Ionian Region); participation in the selection of programme priorities in accordance with the priorities of the Republic of Serbia; participation in supervising the implementation of programmes, including appointing members of Joint Monitoring Committees (JMCs) on behalf of the Republic of Serbia; participation in the work of JMCs; training and coordination of the work of Serbian representatives in JMCs; establishment and participation in the supervision of the work of the Joint Secretariat’s branch offices, info points, national contact points and Joint Secretariat’s antenna offices of a programme on the territory of the Republic of Serbia covered by the programme, in accordance with the rules established by the programme; establishment of Joint Technical Secretariats (JTS) and supervision of their work in accordance with the rules of the programme; participation in the identification of strategic projects in cooperation with relevant domestic and partner country institutions; participation in the preparation and supervision of the implementation of technical assistance projects in cooperation with the competent institutions of partner countries, as well as securing funds for co-financing and pre-financing technical assistance projects from the budget of the Republic of Serbia, implemented by the Ministry; monitoring the implementation of programme objectives, assessing the impact of project contributions to development processes in the territories covered by programmes, as well as throughout the territory of the Republic of Serbia; ensuring the establishment and operation of the Appeal Committee for handling appeals filed by grant beneficiaries for ineligible costs detected by the first-level control/control body on the territory of the Republic of Serbia, as well as providing expert support in the work of the Committee for Irregularities; coordinating the process of recovery of funds in case of unduly paid or unused funds of the beneficiaries for programmes with EU Member States; developing information and programme promotion strategies, as well as overseeing its implementation; creating conditions for further development of the programme; preparation and monitoring of agreements, contracts and other legal acts relevant for European territorial cooperation programmes and alignment of national regulations related to the implementation of European territorial cooperation programmes with EU regulations, as well as monitoring and analysis of agreements between countries involved in the programmes; participation in the work of international bodies, organisations and associations dealing with territorial cooperation matters on behalf of the Republic of Serbia; establishing a management and control system for the second objective of the EU Cohesion Policy; participation in the work of the group for regional policy and coordination of structural instruments; participation in the drafting of strategic documents related to local and regional development; participation in processes related to professional development of civil servants in the Department, as well as other activities in this field.
For the purpose of performing the tasks falling within the scope of the Department for European Territorial Cooperation Programmes the following smaller internal units are established:
1. Division for Cross-border Cooperation Programmes with EU Candidate Countries;
2. Division for Cross-Border and Transnational Cooperation Programmes with EU Member States and
3. Division for Interregional Cooperation Programmes, Territorial Strategies and Management and Control System for Programmes with EU Member States.