Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic said today that EU’s structural support will be discussed at a regional meeting of national coordinators for the European Pre-Accession (IPA), to be held in Belgrade in April.

Djelic told journalists at a regional conference on "Sustainability of civil society in IPA countries" intended for civil society organisations that it is important that all Western Balkan countries have a common position on the redistribution of structural assistance.

The EU aid intended for structural reforms in the next decade should be distributed so that more funds are granted before accession.

Speaking about the process of European integration and the prospects for candidate status for EU membership by the end of the year, Djelic said that a great deal of work has been done and reiterated that a number of important laws are yet to be adopted, namely the laws on restitution and on the financing of political parties as well as amendments to the Law on public procurement.

Djelic said that civil society organisations should expand their sources of funding.

It is necessary to improve the system of tax incentives and exemptions for donations to civil society, said the Deputy Prime Minister.

Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Adriano Martins announced that the EU will continue endorsing organisations of the civil society, adding that they must have other sources of financing in order to strengthen the independence of the civil sector.

The EU has endorsed civil sector organisations in the region with over €60 million, he recalled, adding that the European Commission will modify the decision-making mechanism for financing the civil sector from IPA funds, but individual amounts for states in the region will remain the same.