Given the fact that B&H has fulfilled  conditions set by the European Union, IPA funds will be available to domestic agricultural producers and processors, the City Administration of  Bijeljina is the first local government in B&H, which hired an expert to coordinate with the relevant ministries of the Republic of Srpska and B&H in the development of agricultural projects that will be used from IPA  funds. Rozalia Galac will assist farmers in writing project proposals for applying for funds from IPA.


She was presented at todays meeting on the pre-accession funds of the EU, attended by Assistant Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of B&H, Dusan Neskovic, Assistant Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management of Republic of  Srpska Zoran Maletic and representatives of the Association farmers from Semberija.
- We are trying to unify all institutions involved in pre-accession funds in the field of agriculture.By adopting a common  Strategy at the level of B&H in the field of rural development, we have opened the way to use  IPA funds and we want to take  this opportunity- said Agriculture Coordinator in Bijeljina Predrag Jovic. Assistant Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of B&H Dusan Neskovic said that the IPA package is specifically defined for each country.
 - Agricultural resources so far could not be used since they were conditioned by the creation of a strategic document for the entire B&H, now document is created and funds are available to us and will be available to our  farmers – said Neskovic, adding that there are currently about 3.000,00€ available for agriculture from IPA in 2016.
He pointed out that there is a strict procedure  of how to approach these funds, how to prepare a project proposal, but also how to proceed if the funds are approved.
 - It is important that we start  procedure in time - said Neskovic, adding that 30.000,00€ million of IPA from 2018 will be available. Assistant Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management of Republic of  Srpska, Zoran Maletic said  that they spent 18 months for creation  of the B&H Rural Development Strategy.
- We managed to compile this document, which consists of two parts - for the Republic of Srpska and for the Federation of B&H. I am pleased that we gathered here today in Bijeljina which is the granary of the Republic of Srpska. In Bijeljina we start with further procedures which is  a big step for the City of Bijeljina when it comes to IPA funds - said Maletic adding that these funds will help our farmers to become more competitive in the market.
 President of the Association of Farmers "Sela Semberije" Bosko Radic said that he expects that farmers will have support in writing projects for IPA.