| Project Detail |
Serbia remains fairly centralized while local governments have limited capacities. Division of tasks, responsibilities and competencies between municipalities and central state is important. The Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities (SCTM), association of local governments in Serbia, strives to overcome gaps between central and local level. SDC supports SCTM advocacy department to represent municipalities before the central government and support its members to implement policies and regulations.
erbia has progressed on the EU integration agenda by becoming a candidate country, and accession negotiations have opened in January 2014. The candidacy comes as recognition of an advanced reform process towards a full democracy and improved relations between Belgrade and Pristina. However, implementation of reformed laws is significantly lagging behind the law-making, and the economic crisis is taking its toll. While there are more than few decentralized competencies in Serbia, central to local financial transfers remain unpredictable, an impeding factor for local service delivery. Serbia stands before the challenge to achieve a coherent decentralization during the European integration process, and with respect to the European subsidiarity principle.
Objectives A coherent decentralization reform enables local authorities to act democraticaliy, accountably and independently in providing their public services, adjusted to the Citizens interests and needs. The second phase of the institutional support to the Standing Conference directly links with the Associations Strategy for 2014-2017 addressing strategic priorities for local governments in Serbia in view of the EU accession and domestic policy making. Strategie priorities are defined biannually through action plans covering six priority fields: 1) sustainable decentralization; 2) modem, responsible, participative and gender sensitive local government; 3) predictable municipal funding and municipal efficiency; 4) local economic and rural development; 5) integrated approach to social services; 6) local utilities, rational use of energy, environment and disaster relief. |
