Montenegrin municipalities included in four projects of the URBACT program
The municipalities of Berane, Bijelo Polje and Budva will be individually involved in 4 projects establishing networks for planning activities as part of the first call of the interregional cooperation program URBACT IV.
They will work in cooperation with partner cities from different areas of Europe to solve common challenges of importance for local urban development.
The municipality of Bijelo Polje is included in two networks for planning activities. As part of the 'Breaking isolation' project, the Municipality of Bijelo Polje will contribute to the fight against isolation by creating social bonds between young and old and promoting diversity. Partners in this project will also be Agen (France) as the leading partner, Isernija (Italy), Ser (Greece), Fot (Hungary), Pombal (Portugal), Humilja (Spain), Škofja Loka (Slovenia) and Tender (Denmark). .
The second network in which the Municipality of Bijelo Polje will be included is called 'In4Green'. This project is aimed at implementing a green transition in industrial areas and cities while maintaining competitiveness and inclusiveness. In addition to Bijeli Polje, the network also includes Aviles (Spain) as a leading partner, Vila Nova de Famalikao (Portugal), Dombrova Gornjiča (Poland), Larisa (Greece), Salerno (Italy), Ždjar na Sazava (Czech Republic), Enterprise for the Improvement of Economy The municipalities of Sabadell (Spain), Shidam (Netherlands) and the non-profit enterprise Neue Effizienz gemeinnützige (Germany).
The municipality of Berane will be part of the 'Ecconnecting' network, whose goal will be the development of proximity strategies for functional rural-urban areas through the creation of strong social ties and the involvement of citizens. In addition to Berane, the network also includes Faenza (Italy), Development and Research Center Ormož (Slovenia), Nađkalo (Hungary), Ditiki Mani (Greece), Vizeu (Portugal), Tori (Estonia), Orivela (Spain) and Enis ( Ireland).
The municipality of Budva will participate in the network called 'CAD', whose goal will be to strengthen the night economy and management as the basis of development, sustainability and recovery. Together with Budva, the project includes Braga (Portugal) as a leading partner, then Varna (Bulgaria), Zadar (Croatia), the Center for Strategic Research and Socio-Economic Development from Malaga (Spain), Tallinn (Estonia), Piraeus (Greece ), Nicosia (Cyprus), Paris (France) and Genoa (Italy).
Within the first call of the URBACT IV program, a total of 252 partners from 28 European countries were supported. The projects are co-financed by the European Union, and for the first time cities from candidate countries have the opportunity to participate in the URBACT program, which has been implemented for more than 20 years.
Starting from June 2023 until December 2025, partners within their network will have the opportunity to learn from each other, strengthen capacities and develop integrated action plans to respond to local challenges and encourage sustainable urban development.
MINISTRY OF EUROPEAN AFFAIRS