Programs

Niš City Mayor Miloš Simonović signed the Protocol on establishing a Balkan Local Authorities Environmental Networks – BLAEN with the scientific cooperation of Balkan Ecology Association – B.EN.A. This Protocol envisages the joint work on development and implementation of the projects referring to the environment protection. The priorities of BLAEN are responding to ecology problems, defining the ecology priorities, monitoring of the effects of the negative ecological factors on the public health and the implementation of the projects with the objection of promoting the environment quality. ...more

In December 2008, the City of Niš continued cooperation with UN Habitat and Republic of Italy Government through:

  • formation of the city team for the implementation of Niš City Development Strategy;
  • updating of the adopted development strategy in the areas of ready-to-go projects and available financial resources;
  • creation of triennial operational plan for the period from 2009 to 2011;
  • creation of city communication strategy.

EXCHANGE 3		 The EXCHANGE 3 programme represents a continuation of actions and measures launched under EXCHANGE 1 and continued under EXCHANGE 2 aiming at introducing EU models of functioning and improvement of capacities and efficiency of local self-governments in Serbia.The overall objective of the EXCHANGE 3 programme is to contribute to strengthening capacities of local self-government units in Serbia to further implement the decentralization process in Serbia in accordance with European Union standards. Direct programme beneficiary is the Standing Conference of Municipalities and Towns (SCTM) while the final beneficiaries are the towns and municipalities of Serbia and their citizens benefiting from improved services delivered by the local government. EXCHANGE 3 is launched in March 2010 and will last 3 years, until March 2013. The programme is financed by EU, managed by EU Delegation in Serbia and implemented by SCTM. City of Nis is the partner in two projects implemented within this programme: Establishment of Center for Sustainable Development of Projects, Project Designing and Implementation of the Projects in line with EU Standards is the project which transfers the experience and best practices of Project Center of Niš City Administration of Economy, Sustainable Development and Environmental Protection to the employees in Lazarevac Municipality in establishing and functioning of the Project Center in line with EU Standards; Improvement of Nis City Services and Management Capacities is the project focused on making Nis City administration more efficient by modernizing City Service Center (One Stop Shop).

EXCHANGE 2		 By participating in the program "EXCHANGE 2 – Joint Support to Local Self Governments in Serbia", the city of Niš was given the opportunity to acquire professional support and assistance from the eminent international and local experts through transfer of knowledge needed for the building of local capacities, developing the system for strategic project management, utilizing financial resources, accessing international funds and investors.

City of Niš is one of 16 international partners involved in EU financed project TRANSPOWER implemented by GTZ. It deals with environmental friendly city traffic themes, such as public transport, integrated planning, non-motorized transport, etc. This project envisages supervised implementation of small and tailor-made projects and concepts together with exchange of experience and relevant personnel enabling the participating institutions to build up relevant capacities.

Hilfe zur Selbsthilfe e.V.		 In order to provide support to young unemployed people in improving their professional skills or in enabling them for starting up their own business activities, the City of Niš decided to take part in the project "Support to Local Sustainable Development in South Serbia".
Niš City and five city municipalities started the implementation of the project Guillotine of Regulations together with International Financial Corporation (IFC). Applying the European methods in the functioning of the local administration will standardise and define administrative procedures in order to reform the functioning of the local administration with the aim of achieving more efficient business operating, improving services provided to entrepreneurs, improving the business environment, simplifying the procedures for issuing the permits and enhance the transparency of administration functioning. This project sets as its objective establishing better relations between the citizens and local administrations representatives.
Local Economic Development in the Balkans (LEDIB) Programme is five years long programme dedicated to the support for local economic development with the focus on the development of small and medium enterprises. Programme development objective is the even socio-economic development and the creation of new jobs in the District of Niš.

Cross-border cooperation programme between Serbia and Bulgaria is the EU instrument for the assistance and promotion of cross-border cooperation outside EU borders. The programme is focused on the promotion of sustainable socio/economic development, environment protection, fighting against organized crime improvement of control of the borders and promotion of people-to-people cooperation. The objective of the programme is the decrease of the differences in development rates between the regions outside EU and the promotion of the cooperation between local self governments as well as the cultural cooperation. The programme enables the central and local administrations and institutions inside and outside EU to improve through cooperation the economic and social conditions and to strengthen the possibilities of joint development. ...more

Launched in June 2009, RSEDP 2 is EU-funded Technical Assistance Project to improve the capacities of the Regional Development Agencies (RDAs). This project is funded by EU and implemented on behalf of the Delegation of European Union by an international consortium led by WYG International and including HCL Consultants, Tribal Helm and Oxford Policy Management. The main purpose of RSEDP 2 Programme is to create and support new employment opportunities and to safeguard existing jobs. Therefore the EU-funded M€9 Grant Scheme promoted under this programme supports regional projects that directly impact on job creation and business development. City of Nis received the grant from this programme for the project Cheese Cluster South. The project foresees 5 bigger components of project activities: confirmed update of the existing findings on the capacities of the milk industry in the region of Toplica, NIšava and Pirot district with the recommendations for further development; raising of capacity of RDA South in establishment and management of cluster pooling system; cluster creation; certification of dairies in HACCP operation system; territorial marketing in the context of promotion of cheese cluster products.

USAID Sustainable Local Development Programme: MoU was signed with USAID Sustainable Local Development Programme as well as the Agreement on Inter-municipal Cooperation between City of Nis and Municipalities of Doljevac, Merosina and Gadzin Han. This new USAID five-year-long programme worth $22 million has the objective to support long-term economic and social development of the communities in Serbia. The project components comprise inter-municipal cooperation in implementation of big infrastructural and development projects beneficial to all the municipalities involved, empowering and enabling local self-governments, increased citizens’ participation, strengthening youth competitiveness, creating favorable business climate. The expected results are new jobs and investments, access to EU pre-accession funds, professionalism in running the municipality administrations, increasing the budgets for capital investments, increasing the youth competitiveness before entering the labor market, greater involvement of business communities in the local economic development projects. SLD Project will be functioning through 12 clusters or group of municipalities and cities joined by the same goal, and each cluster will gravitate towards one of four main development centers. Cities of Novi Sad and Nis have been selected for two of those centers.

Memorandum of Understanding was signed between City of Niš and the Urban Institute, the implementing agency, in order to take part in Phase 3 of the implementation of the "Municipal Economic Growth Activity" (MEGA) program sponsored by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The principal goal of this program is to develop the skills of local governments and local business groups to foster economic growth and job creation in order to create a business-friendly environment where the local private sector may flourish.

Memorandum of Understanding was signed between City of Niš and Development Alternatives Inc. (DAI), implementing agency of Preparedness, Planning and Economic Security Program (PPES) financed by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). In general, DAI and City of Niš will cooperate in Program initiatives to develop he capacity to plan for and respond to natural disasters, crisis and emergencies in Serbia.