The new project has a budget of €9.5 million and will run for 36 months, being up to now the biggest contract awarded to EPTISA in the Balkan region.
This award is a confirmation of the quality of the services provided during the first phase of this EU-funded Programme. For the last two years the Regional Office for Southeast Europe of EPTISA has been managing the Municipal Infrastructure Support Programme in the Republic of Serbia. The contract, financed by the CARDS Programme from the European Union and managed by the EC Delegation to Serbia, was awarded in January 2008 to a consortium led by EPTISA.
MISP I aimed at two main objectives: on the one hand, to provide technical support to all Serbian municipalities in the planning and implementation of municipal infrastructure projects, mainly related to water supply, wastewater treatment, and the collection and disposal or municipal solid waste; on the other hand, to provide legal, managerial and technical support for an eventual transformation of the Public Utility Companies in charge for the delivery of municipal infrastructure services. In addition, during mid 2009, the contract was extended with one supplementary component with the purpose to set up a Project Management Unit for the construction of affordable housing for refugees and Internally Displaced Persons.
Recognition for the job well done by the expert team is the recent award of the second phase of the Programme. The new contract, funded by the EU’s Instrument for Pre-Accession with €9.5 million and managed by the EC Delegation to Serbia, will be implemented by a consortium led by EPTISA, and composed by the Dutch companies Royal Haskoning and VNG International.
During the next 36 months, experts from the three consortium partners will assist the Serbian authorities in the preparation and prioritisation of municipal infrastructure projects. The team will also undertake several feasibility studies for the construction of sanitary landfills, wastewater treatment plants, water supply systems, and water treatment plants. Additionally, EPTISA will provide supervision services for five construction projects (three landfills, a water supply network and a wastewater treatment plant). Finally, the expert team will continue providing advice and support for the improvement of the technical and financial management of the public utility companies in charge of municipal infrastructure services, for their eventual transformation with the possible participation of the private sector.
The MISP reflects the European Union’s solid commitment to assist Serbia in the improvement of its municipal infrastructure services and in the enhancement of the human capacities of all its local governments. The significant resources granted by the European Commission in this and in many other initiatives have a clear final objective: that Serbia eventually becomes a full member of the EU family and that we can all witness the necessary improvement of its people’s living standards.
The project team and all the staff from EPTISA, Royal Haskoning and VNG are proud and honoured to be one of the several involved parties in this challenging process.
For more information about MISP please visit the project website: www.misp-serbia.rs