First prize in the art contest titled “Get to Know Europe” for 2015 European PROGRES calendar went to Sofija Jelic, a student of “Pivo Karamatijevic” Grammar School from Nova Varos. “Artworks featured in the calendar teach us about Europe and its richness of various cultures,” said European PROGRES Manager Graeme Tyndall.

The year 2015 will be challenging for both the EU and Serbia in economic terms, but EU remains main Serbia’s trading partner and donnor. Through a new EU approach on economic governance in candidate countries, Serbia will get concrete policy advice, so 2015 will be a pilot year for this new process, the Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Michael Davenport said.

Seven applications for a total of EUR126.7 million in EU aid to help Italy, Greece, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia and Bulgaria cope with the aftermath of natural disasters in 2013 and 2014 have been approved by Parliament. Almost a half of the aid from the EU Solidarity Fund, EUR 60.2 million, will be provided to Serbia, the only non-EU applicant, as the Parliament endorsed European Commission’s proposal. Serbia was treated as any EU member.

The Stabilisation and Association Council (SA Council) between Serbia and the European Union held its second meeting on 17 December 2014. The meeting was chaired by the Serbian side, by Jadranka Joksimović, Minister without portfolio for EU integration of Serbia. The EU Delegation was led by Edgars Rinkēvičs, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, and included Commissioner Johannes Hahn, a joint statement said.

EU have followed the work of Rodoljub Sabic and his team very closely, and consider that Commissioner for Information of Public Importance ”showed the best way of fighting for implementation of European standards within areas crucial for respect of fundamental human rights,” said Head of teh EU Delegation to Serbia Michael Davenport during the session of Parliamentary Committee for Culture and Information convened to mark the 10th anniversary of entry of Law on Information of Public Importance into force.

At the EU-Western Balkans Ministerial Forum of Justice and Home Affairs, Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Dimitris Avramopoulos called governments in the region to do more to fight visa-free travel regime abuses.

Upon entering the EU, Serbia will have at its disposal significant funds within European Social Fund, and it is important that administration, those who will be using the funds and participate in projects, is timely prepared in order to make the most of the funds, a conference, organised within European Commission’s TAIEX Programme, was told.

Project financing of media is going to be a challenge for Serbian local self-governments, but they have to set up well-defined requirements of competition and determine what the public interest is, said Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Michael Davenport addressing the representatives of local self-governments at the Assembly of the Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities.

History has recorded, especially in Europe and in this region that it is not sufficient to proclaim human rights, but that it is also necessary to fight for and protect them, said Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Michael Davenport addressing the conference held on the occasion of International Human Rights Day. He said that the EU Delegation would continue to support projects in the field of promotion and protection of human rights.