Participants of the public forum within the process of developing the Territorial Strategy for the Urban Area of the City of Pančevo discussed the vision for the city future development and project ideas that could contribute to its achievement at a public forum held as part of the process of developing the Territorial Strategy for the Urban Area of the City of Pančevo. The development of the Territorial Strategy is supported by the European Union through the EU Support for Integrated Territorial Development – EU INTEGRA Programme, implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of European Integration.
The Programme is implemented by the Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities (SCTM) and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS). Within the UNOPS-led component of the Programme, local self-governments receive technical support for the development of territorial strategies and capacity building for the application of integrated territorial development instruments in line with the European Union Cohesion Policy.
“The Ministry of European Integration, with the support of the European Union, is continuously working to prepare Serbia for the future use of EU funds, and an important part of this process is strengthening capacities at the local and regional levels for planning and managing territorial development. Through the development of the Territorial Strategy, Pančevo is gaining practical experience in applying an integrated approach to development – from assessing the city’s needs and potential, through defining development priorities with the involvement and active participation of local stakeholders, to linking these priorities with concrete project ideas and future investments. This experience represents an important step in further strengthening local-level capacities for the implementation of territorial instruments and preparing for the future use of Cohesion Policy funds,” said Bojana Bondžić of the Ministry of European Integration.
The Public Forum was preceded by an analysis of the current situation and thematic discussions with local stakeholders, which provided the basis for defining the objectives and measures of the future Strategy. The Forum provided an opportunity for the results achieved so far to be reviewed and further developed with the participation of a broader range of representatives of the local community.
“Pančevo is one of ten territories currently developing territorial strategies through EU INTEGRA, building on the experience of the EU PRO Plus Programme and continuing to strengthen capacities for integrated territorial development in Serbia,” said Viktor Veljović, Capacity Development Manager within the UNOPS-led part of the EU INTEGRA Programme.
Pupils from “Bratstvo-jedinstvo” Primary School and “Vasa Živković” Primary School have also been involved in the development of the Strategy through the “My City in the Future” art competition. Through their artwork, they presented their vision of Pančevo in the future, while Public Forum participants voted to select the three best entries, whose authors received awards.
