The Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ekaterina Dorodnova, handed over 150,000 syringes and 48,000 safety boxes for medical waste to the Bosnian authorities on 15 October. This is the first of five deliveries of vaccination consumables that will be distributed to healthcare institutions across the country.
“This equipment is part of our assistance to support vaccination against Covid-19 in Bosnia and Herzegovina and has been procured under the EU4Health programme. The EU4Health programme is funded by the European Union, with €13.7 million allocated for the procurement of vaccines and equipment to support the fight against Covid-19 in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“Together with its Member States, the EU has so far delivered a total of 1.3 million vaccine doses to Bosnia and Herzegovina to speed up the vaccination campaign,” Dorodnova said.
The EU has also provided €7.76 million for the procurement of medical and protective equipment, which has been delivered to healthcare institutions across the country.
An EU co-funded programme has supported a refugee from Bosnia and Herzegovina to start a new life in his native village
The war in Bosnia and Herzegovina brought tragedy for hundreds of thousands of families. Many lost their loved ones or their jobs and had to leave their hometowns and villages, never to come back. Davorin Savić from the village of Bačevići, near Mostar, is one of those who had to leave his house overnight and find refuge elsewhere. However, Davorin is also one of the lucky ones who has managed to come back to his village and start a new life there.
The city of Mostar was one of the many multi-ethnic towns in Bosnia and Herzegovina where Croats, Bosniaks and Serbs lived in harmony. However, this harmony was ruined with the start in 1992 of the war which lasted until 1995. Thousands of people were killed and it is estimated that over a million people were displaced, making it the most devastating conflict in Europe since the end of the Second World War.
“It was difficult to live as a refugee but we managed to survive somehow. We rented somewhere to live, and I mostly worked at the local market with low pay.”
Finally, back home
The conflict in Mostar started and developed swiftly, and along with his family, Davorin had to move fast, leaving their house and belongings back in the village. As they were ethnic Serbs, they moved to Serbia. The memories are still fresh for Davorin of how in 1992 he left his family home, together with his brother and mother, to flee to Belgrade. “It was difficult to live as refugees,” he recalls. “But we managed to survive somehow. We rented somewhere to live, and I mostly worked at the local market with low pay.”
He lived in Belgrade for 18 years but in 2010 the family finally returned to Bačevići, where they were distraught to find that their home had been completely demolished. However, their luck was about to change. “We met some neighbours who told us about programme that reconstructed houses for returnees,” Davorin says. “We quickly submitted an application to the Regional Housing Programme.”
Davorin admits that life in Bosnia and Herzegovina is not easy, especially for returnees and internally displacedpeople. Though he had worked in the power plant company before the war, he was unable to find a job in thecompany on his return to BiH. He still does not have a job with a secure salary or health insurance.
“I never imagined that I would come back to my village and produce vegetables in a greenhouse and cultivate land.”
About the project
Around 1,800 housing units have been delivered to date in Bosnia and Herzegovina as part of the Regional Housing Programme. The final target is for more than 3,000 housing units to be constructed by June 2023. Almost €291million has been allocated so far to the Regional Housing Programme, of which more than €76 million is for projects in BiH. With €235 million, the European Union is the main donor to the Programme.
Nevertheless, despite the odds, Davorin manages to ensure a dignified life for himself, his mother and the family of his brother, who passed away last year. This is in large part thanks to the house rebuilt with the support of the Regional Housing Programme and the greenhouse and small tractor provided with the support of Catholic Relief Services. “I never imagined that I would come back to my village and produce vegetables in a greenhouse and cultivate land,” he laughs. “But it’s great. I sell my products at the market in Mostar.”
Reflecting on his life today, Davorin is also quick to comment on the friendliness of his neighbours from different ethnic groups. In contrast to the situation when he had to flee Bačevići, now he says, “We live together, help each other and celebrate all holidays.”
A young Serbian farmer fulfils a childhood dream with the EU’s support.
Milan Plavšić (35) lives in Sremska Mitrovica in the province of Vojvodina, in the north of Serbia. He comes from a family with a long tradition in agriculture, but in contrast to his father and grandfather, Milan had the opportunity to graduate from the agricultural faculty in Novi Sad. His aim is to take the family business to another level. “I have been used to agriculture since my childhood. I just love it and have never thought of doing other work,” says Milan.
Vojvodina is known for its rich soil which has for centuries been ideal for agricultural crops like maize, wheat, soya, and sunflowers. The province is the biggest producer and exporter of field crops in the Western Balkans region. Like Milan, most people in the region work in agriculture but, despite the advantage of having good soil, farmers are facing some serious difficulties. “Some of the small agricultural households with two to three acres of land are either selling their land or renting it to bigger producers as they are unable to invest in new technology and purchase equipment for modern farming,” he says.
“The old tractor started to become a real problem, as it was not working properlyanymore and we couldn’t manage to meet deadlines or produce the necessary quantities of crops.”
A new tractor, better business opportunities With his 20 acres of land, Milan considers himself to be a medium-size producer but he, too, has had difficulties. Having a tractor is crucial for his work, and the one that the family owned was purchased back in 1987. Milan remembers the joy of first driving this tractor when he was only 12 years old. But over the years, the machine started to show its age. “The old tractor started to become a real problem, as it was not working properly anymore and we couldn’t manage to meet deadlines or produce the necessary quantities of crops,” says Milan.
The family knew they needed to invest in a new tractor, which can cost up to €70,000 – a very expensive piece of equipment for a business of their size. They did not have enough money to invest and taking a loan of this amount seemed too risky and costly over the longer-term. But without the new equipment, their business would be seriously threatened.
They had a glimmer of hope when Milan heard about the EU-funded Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance for Rural Development (IPARD) programme which supports agriculture in Serbia and the region. Seeing that he fulfilled the criteria, Milan decided to apply for support. The application was successful, and the family was able to buy a new tractor.
“With the new tractor that we got with the EU’s support, I can now work faster and more safely and have better quality crops.”
About the project
Part of the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA) designed to support countries on the path to EU membership, the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance for Rural Development (IPARD) focuses on the agri-food sectors of those countries and rural areas. Through this tool, the EU provides beneficiaries with financial and technical help to make the agricultural sector and rural areas more sustainable, aligning them with the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy.
The IPARD programme supported Milan’s family with over 50% of the amount for purchasing the new tractor. The family covered the rest of the amount with a loan from a bank, which was easier to get as a result of the IPARD support, and from their savings. “With the new tractor that we got with the EU’s support, I can now work faster and more safely and produce better quality crops,” says Milan.
Milan has a vision for further expanding as he has the quality land and the market. Most importantly, he now also has a new Steyr tractor, just the tractor that he dreamed of when he was a boy. “The dream of every young boy living in an agricultural household is to buy a new tractor. It was also my dream. With the EU’s support, this dream has come true,” says Milan.
This report provides an assessment from the European Commission of the state-of-play and progress made by North Macedonia in the EU integration process.
This report provides an assessment from the European Commission of the state-of-play and progress made by Bosnia and Herzegovina in the EU integration process
On 19 October, the European Commission (EC) adopted its 2021 Enlargement Package, providing a detailed assessment of the state of play and the progress made by the Western Balkans and Turkey on their respective paths towards the European Union. A particular focus is on implementing fundamental reforms, as well as providing clear guidance on the reform priorities ahead.
The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission, Josep Borrell, commented on the publication of the report: “With today’s report, we provide a detailed assessment of the progress made in the Western Balkans and Turkey, and where work remains to be done. […] The EU is not complete without the Western Balkans. It’s time we come together and unite in building a stronger Europe.”
Presenting this year’s package, EU Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, Olivér Várhelyi, said:“Enlargement policy is a geostrategic investment in peace, stability, security and economic growth on our European continent. It’s a merit based process, to which we provide a factual and fair assessment as well as a clear roadmap to accelerate and deepen reforms in our partners[…].
“And we are standing by the Western Balkans and Turkey with significant financial support through the new Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA III) which is also main funding source for the almost €30 billion Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans.”
It is now for the Council, (responsible for coordinating EU member states), to consider today’s recommendations of the Commission and take decisions on the steps ahead.
