During his visit to municipalities Gorazde, Foca and Ustikolina on 30 November 2011, the Head of Operations Section for Economic Development, Natural Resources and Infrastructure of the European Union Delegation to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mr. Johann Hesse, met with the beneficiaries of the EU funded project Micro, Small, Medium Enterprises (MSME) Development in Gorazde, Foca, Rogatica and Novo Gorazde.

Mr. Hesse was accompanied by Mr. Timo Stegelmann, representative for South-eastern Europe of a German NGO HELP Hilfe zur Selbsthilfe e.V. that implements the project.

The EU and the NGO HELP discussed on joint meetings with the representatives of the municipal authorities and agricultural producers up to date progress on the ground and further expected results of the EU support. All underlined importance of the EU funds invested in concrete measures of support to the producers of fruits and vegetables, as well as diary products, as considered of high potential for the sectors growth, job creation and income generation, as well as for export.

The total value of the project is 471.422,95 EUR out of which the EU provides cca 400 000 EUR from the Instrument for the Pre-accession Assistance, and the beneficiary municipalities co-fund the remaining amount.

The project aims at support to the competitive sectors (agriculture), namely the production of fruits and vegetables and dairy production through provision of the equipment and material to minimum 180 beneficiaries – agricultural producers from the four above-mentioned municipalities and the introduction of certification and quality control systems of their products. Such measures are to reinforce their capacities for further production development and the increase of their export potentials.