Belgrade Plans Own Office in Brussels

Danko Runic, director of the city's office for European integration, which completed the study on the LDP's initiative, says it is high time that Belgrade had its own office in Brussels, where all the important decisions for the European Union made are made.

The office would help "shape decisions in favour of our own development plans and priorities," Runic said.

The representative office would work on improving the image of Belgrade in Brussels, organise conferences, seminars and cultural events, lobby on Belgrade's behalf and run advertising campaigns.

The proposal has come to the fore as Serbia waits to hear whether EU leaders will grant the country candidate status in early March.

Many cities and provincial governments began opening their own offices in Brussels in the mid-1980s, when German provinces and British local governments became aware of the importance of advocating regional interests at the heart of EU institutions.

More than 300 local authorities across Europe, including almost all major cities, now have offices in the EU capital. Kragujevac and Nis and the northern province of Vojvodina have already opened their own offices in Brussels.

Belgraders have supported the need for such an office. According to a poll conducted by Runic's office in November, as many as 73 percent of respondents supported the idea of opening a Brussels office in order to represent the city’s interests in European institutions.

According to Runic, the office would cooperate with Belgrade University, offering internships to its students.

This model meant the office would not cost a great deal while students would get an opportunity to improve their practical knowledge of European integration, he added.