The holding of the first forum session on March 10, 2022 announced the start of the process of Regional Community Forums in the South-East Planning Region, financially supported by the Ministry of Local Self-Government and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation through the project “Sustainable and Inclusive Balanced Regional Development 2” phase. ”
The first forum session was divided into two parts, as project ideas and solutions were proposed in two Programs, as follows:
- Program for projects through MLS / SDC Grant Scheme and
- Program for balanced regional development for 2022 with indicatively planned funds for 2023 of MLS / BRR.
In the first part of the Grant Scheme Program, it is planned to allocate funds for a project of at least 320 thousand euros. For that purpose, the forum participants who were from different categories of citizens from the South-East Planning Region (from the Units of Local Self-Government, Municipal Councils, NGOs, business sector and other interested citizens) had the opportunity to identify and define priority regional issues for each of previously identified priority areas.
In the second part of the day, the participants proposed project ideas for the Program for balanced regional development for 2022 with indicatively planned funds for 2023, where about 750 thousand euros are available for the implementation of projects of regional importance.
Over 70 participants in the forum actively participated in identifying the problems affecting the South-East region, discussed, and also proposed solutions to overcome the problems in order to improve the living conditions of all citizens in the region, which is of particular importance for successful implementation of the regional forum process. In the following period, based on the identified challenges from the first forum session, conceptual solutions will be developed for both Programs that will be further presented to the Council for Development of the South-East Planning Region and to the present participants in the second forum session, which is planned to take place at the end of April 2022.