Srbija nije maksimalno realizovala raspoložive programe EU vredne nekoliko miliona evra. Uz to, Srbiji je EU obezbedila preko 2,9 milijardi evra bespovratne pomoći u periodu od 2000. do maja 2015. godine. Zajmovi EIB dostigli su od 2001. godine čak 4,3 milijarde evra od čega je isplaćeno skoro 3 milijarde evra.
U periodu 1998-2005. godina, EU je u Srbiju donirala svega 1,8 miliona evra – 1,132 miliona evra na rekonstrukciju i razvoj, 490,5 miliona evra na uspostavljanje makroekonomske stabilnosti i 218,5 miliona evra na humanitarnu pomoć. Međutim, Srbija nije maksimalno realizovala raspoložive programe (prema podacima EAR, 82% su ugovorena sredstava, a realizovano (isplaćeno) je 65%. Samo 2005. godine prema Akcionom planu ugovoreno je 30% a realizovano svega 8%. Dakle, bilo je prostora da se realizuje daleko veći broj programa.
Od ukupnog iznosa bespovratne pomoći koja je došla u Srbiju u periodu 2000-2015. godina dominira EU sa preko 70% ukupnih bespovratnih sredstava (donacija), ili sa 3 milijarde evra. Slede SAD sa skoro 680 miliona evra i pojedinačno Nemačka sa malo iznad 350 miliona evra.
Posmatrano po izvorima sredstava, 2001. godine na bespovratnu pomoć odlazilo 62,7% a na koncesionalne kredite 27,3%, dok je 2013. godine odnos obratan i 27,1% otpada na bespovratnu pomoć dok 62,9% otpada na koncesionalne kredite. Takođe, vremenom se smanjuje udeo realizacije poslova EU u korist bilateralnih razvojnih partnera.
Realizacija međunarodne pomoći sa aspekta individualnog razvojnog partnera u periodu 2000-2013. godina pokazuje da dominiraju evropske institucije i evropske države – EU sa oko 3 milijarde evra, Evropska investiciona banka sa oko 2 milijarde evra, Svetska banka sa oko 1,1 mlijardi evra, Evropska banka za obnovu i razvoj sa preko 700 miliona evra, koliko i Nemačka i SAD, pojedinačno posmatrano i Rusija sa skoro 400 miliona evra.
Srbiji su dostupni fondovi EU i preko programa podrške civilnom društvu (Civil Society Facility, 2,5 miliona evra), program TEMPUS (4 miliona evra), i sredstva za izbeglice u okviru Regionalnog programa stambenog zbrinjavanja (€12 million). Novi paket finansijske pomoći iz IPA pretpristupnih fondova iz budžetske godine IPA 2014. iznosi 189 miliona evra i njegova se implementacija očekuje tokom 2015. godine.
Ova sredstva iskorišćena su za finansiranje saobraćajne i socijalne infrastrukture – izgradnju autoputeva, obnovu nacionalnih puteva i železničke mreže, izgradnju/renoviranje obrazovnih, zdravstvenih i kulturnih institucija, kao i podršku za program Istraživanje i razvoj. Novi okvir IPA-II, za period 2014-2020. godina, vredan 14,110 milijardi evra, obuhvatiće finansiranje sektorskog pristupa, s tim da je neophodno obezbediti pravne i institucijalne strukture koje omogućavaju da se sredstva EU što bolje iskoriste. Deo vanrednih bespovratnih sredstava stigao je nakon katastrofalnih posledica poplava 2014. godine u iznosu od oko 162 miliona evra.
Kada je Srbija postala zemlja kandidat prešla je u fazu Decentralizovanog sistema upravljanja fondovima EU, po kome je deo nadležnosti upravljanja fondovima dobila od strane EU (preostale tri komponente). Takav iskorak značio je da je za preuzimanje dela nadležnosti i odgovornosti neophodno formirati nove organe upravljanja i rukovođenja u skladu sa standardima EU.
Serbia has not fully utilized the available EU programmes worth several million euros. In addition, the European Union provided Serbia with more than €2.9 billion in grants in the period from 2000 to May 2015. Loans from the European Investment Bank reached as much as €4.3 billion since 2001, of which almost €3 billion had been disbursed.
In the period 1998–2005, the EU donated €1.8 billion to Serbia – €1.132 billion for reconstruction and development, €490.5 million for establishing macroeconomic stability, and €218.5 million for humanitarian assistance. However, Serbia did not maximize the use of available programmes (according to European Agency for Reconstruction data, 82% of the funds were contracted, while 65% were actually disbursed). In 2005 alone, under the Action Plan, 30% of funds were contracted but only 8% were implemented, indicating significant room for a higher number of realized programmes.
Of the total non-repayable assistance received by Serbia between 2000 and 2015, the EU accounted for over 70% of total grants, or about €3 billion. The United States followed with nearly €680 million, while Germany individually provided slightly above €350 million.
By source of funding, in 2001 grants accounted for 62.7% and concessional loans for 27.3%, whereas in 2013 the ratio was reversed: 27.1% were grants and 62.9% concessional loans. Over time, the share of EU-implemented projects decreased in favor of bilateral development partners.
The implementation of international assistance by individual development partner in the period 2000–2013 shows the dominance of European institutions and countries – the EU with about €3 billion, the European Investment Bank with about €2 billion, the World Bank with about €1.1 billion, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development with over €700 million, the same amount as Germany and the United States individually, and the Russia with nearly €400 million.
EU funds were also available to Serbia through programmes supporting civil society (Civil Society Facility, €2.5 million), the TEMPUS programme (€4 million), and resources for refugees within the Regional Housing Programme (€12 million). A new financial assistance package from the IPA 2014 pre-accession funds amounted to €189 million and its implementation was expected during 2015.
These resources were used to finance transport and social infrastructure – construction of highways, rehabilitation of national roads and the railway network, construction and renovation of educational, health, and cultural institutions, as well as support for research and development programmes. The new IPA II framework for the period 2014–2020, worth €14.11 billion, introduced a sector-based approach, requiring adequate legal and institutional structures to ensure more efficient absorption of EU funds. Part of the emergency grant assistance, amounting to about €162 million, arrived after the catastrophic floods in 2014.
When Serbia obtained candidate country status, it entered the phase of the Decentralized Management System for EU funds, under which it assumed part of the responsibilities for managing the funds. This step required the establishment of new management and control bodies in line with EU standards in order to take over part of the authority and responsibility.