Home European projects Project of EU delegated cooperation aimed to provide support for internal market in Serbia
In December 2023 we published a call for the project named EU Support for Internal Market in Serbia, with a duration of 36 months (the amount of funds allocated for this call: 1,751,217.19 euros).
Project EU Support for Internal Market in Serbia is financed from the instrument for pre-accession assistance (Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance - IPA), is aimed at integrating the Serbian market environment into the internal market of the European Union. It is already the third EU delegated cooperation project in a row for SAIDC.
The Slovak Agency for International Development Cooperation is involved in the implementation of the latest project in Serbia as a partner, together with the development agencies of Spain (FIAP) and Italy (AICS).
The implementation partner of the project will implement the project in the areas of e-commerce, one-stop consumer point of contact and consumer protection.
At its meeting on January 5, 2024, the MFEA SR Commission for the evaluation of applications for the provision of subsidies for the EU delegated cooperation project in the Republic of Serbia within the call SAMRS/2023/EU/RS/1 approved the request of the Regional Development Agency Senec-Pezinok (RRA SP) for a project called EU Support for the Internal Market. The application received an average score of 87.60 points out of a maximum of 100 points, the approved subsidy for the project amounts to 1,751,217.59 euros, the end of the project implementation must be scheduled no later than November 5, 2026.
During the first two years of implementation (2024–2025), the EU4IM project has made significant progress in supporting Serbia’s alignment with EU Internal Market rules. In the area of e-commerce, an E-commerce Guide for businesses was finalised and widely distributed, and a nationwide mentoring programme for SMEs was launched, through which more than 300 entrepreneurs gained practical skills in digital marketing, online sales, and customer experience. At the same time, key analytical studies on the Digital Services Act (DSA), Digital Markets Act (DMA), and geo-blocking were completed, providing a solid basis for future legal harmonisation.
Substantial progress has also been achieved in the development of the Point of Single Contact (PSC). The project has completed a catalogue of more than 300 services, prepared a draft PSC manual, and conducted a comparative study of best practices in EU Member States. In parallel, a functional prototype of the PSC platform is under development, along with the finalisation of the implementing regulation that will establish its legal framework.
In the field of consumer protection, the project supported the preparation of the new Consumer Protection Strategy 2026–2031, strengthened the capacities of consumer organisations and ADR bodies, modernised the national ADR/ODR platform, and contributed to the establishment of a new consumer protection call centre. Public awareness was further enhanced through outreach activities, including events marking World Consumer Rights Day.
Overall, the EU4IM project is progressively building the regulatory, institutional, and digital foundations necessary for Serbia’s smoother integration into the EU Single Market.