More than 1,800 participants attended the second edition of the EU Opportunity Week in Serbia, from 23 to 27 September 2024.

A further 2,600 people followed online demonstrating the great interest in EU support.

Opportunity Week presented different EU opportunities available to citizens, organisations and companies, ranging from financial assistance to exchange of experience and knowledge sharing.

More than 60 sessions were held, covering business and innovation, culture, youth and sports, local development, green transition and territorial cooperation.

The event was organised by the EU Delegation to Serbia and the Government of Serbia, building on the success of the first edition held in 2023.

Commissioner for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement, Olivér Várhelyi, addressed the audience via video message to launch the event.

“We have made EU enlargement one of the highest priorities on our political agenda. And we are working intensively to bring you some advantages of EU membership even before your full accession.”

EU Ambassador to Serbia, Emmanuele Giaufret, opened the event: “The second Opportunity Week explores the EU opportunities for Serbian citizens. We also discussed the Growth Plan which will boost the EU integration process. The EU is not just a donor, but a dedicated partner, a friend and indeed the future of Serbia.”

Tanja Miščević, Serbian Minister of European Integration, welcomed the start of European Opportunity Week: "There are opportunities not only for the state, but also for each of us, from small and medium enterprises to non-governmental organizations at the local level."

The Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF) programmes for private sector support were presented on the first day, during the Business and Innovation session.

Lazhare Ait Amokhtar, from the European Union’s Directorate for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, shared the information about grants, loans and guarantees available to micro, small and medium-sized businesses to develop new business ideas, improve processes or expand exports. “The EU is committed to developing a robust private sector in the Western Balkans. We have already supported over 390,000 micro and small businesses since 2009, created or sustained more than million jobs and ensured a reduction in CO₂ emissions of 425,000 tonnes.”

Several success stories from beneficiaries demonstrated the impact possible. MNG Plastik-Gogić makes plastic bins and waste containers. Thanks to support from the Regional SME Competitiveness Support programme, they were able to invest in new machinery to optimise materials flow and reduce waste and energy consumption.

During the last day of the event, in Niš, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development presented the Green Economy Financing Programme for the Western Balkans (GEFF). GEFF is implemented under the Regional Energy Efficiency Programme managed by WBIF. Petar Nikolić, deputy project coordinator for GEFF, outlined the support available for energy efficiency and renewable energy measures. “Until now, GEFF has predominantly focused on the residential sector and has successfully facilitated green loans for 19,000 beneficiaries, surpassing €110 million. We are pleased to announce that the programme now opens up opportunities for bigger investments for construction companies from the Western Balkans.”

WBIF staff were on hand to answer questions from interested organisations during the event, and orient interested parties to the right financial institutions who provide the financial and advisory services.

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A full list of active programmes is available in the Private sector Blending and Guarantees booklet [download here English / Serbian].

A dedicated webpage, with a searchable database of support by sector, country or financial institution is available here

All the presentations made during Opportunity Week can be found on the dedicated platform.