19 November 2024
On 12 November 2024, AEBR and the Ministry of European Integration of the Republic of Serbia invited relevant actors representing border regions, cross-border programmes and institutions working on European integration in the Balkans to a workshop in Belgrade.
The event aimed to present to stakeholders in the Balkans the b-solutions initiative, an action of the European Commission’s DG REGIO managed by AEBR to support the identification of solutions to legal and administrative obstacles which hinder cross-border cooperation.
The Serbian Minister for European Integration Prof. Tanja Miščević opened the event welcoming b-solutions as a useful tool to help local and regional actors initiate integration with the EU laws and processes. Noting how citizens cooperate across the borders naturally in the region, she urged to solve technical problems that hamper these interactions, for the benefits of citizens and the region.
Martín Guillermo Ramírez, Secretary General of AEBR, highlighted the importance to work closely with the national authority, thanking the Minister Prof. Tanja Miščević and her colleagues at the Ministry of European Integration for their involvement and support of cross-border cooperation. “b-solutions is a collective effort”, he noted, emphasising the relevance of the involvement of local, regional and national level to solve legal and administrative obstacles.
Ms. Sanda Šimić, Acting Assistant Minister at the Ministry of European Integration of the Republic of Serbia, outlined the success story of cooperation programmes in the Balkans, which have been pivotal to experience the values of the European Union. She also mentioned that sometimes well-designed projects cannot be fully implemented because of different laws in the neighbouring country, concluding that b-solutions can be a helpful tool for the community of cross-border cooperation in the Balkans.
To illustrate the role of the b-solutions initiative, Mr. Martín Guillermo Ramírez presented the initiation of this project which was devised to strengthen the effectiveness of cross-border cooperation.
Ms. Caitriona Mullan, b-solutions expert, focused particularly on the role of b-solutions as a tool for regional development thanks to its capacity building element, the potential it brings about, and the trust it helps to build.
To conclude, Ms. Cinzia Dellagiacoma, project administrator at AEBR, has illustrated how to participate in b-solutions, showing the open call for proposals step by step.
Please find here the presentations of the speakers:
-Presentation by Sanda Šimić, “ETC fostering EU Integrationstering EU Integration”
-Presentation by Martín Guillermo Ramírez, “A Powerful Step Toward European Integration Solving Cross Border Obstacles”
-Presentation by Caitriona Mullan, “Cross-border cooperation, b-solutions and the path to European Integration”
-Presentation by Cinzia Dellagiacoma, “b-solutions’ Call for Proposals”
Back to overview