The awareness seminar organized in Visegrad on May 20^th 2008 was the ninth and the last event that took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina as a part of the information campaign on IPA CBC and programmes with neighbouring Western Balkan countries.

However, this seminar was of a unique character: it was a cross-border event, gathering around 180 participants from three countries – Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia, thus giving them the opportunity to not only obtain information about programmes, but to meet potential partners from the other side of the border as well and present their organizations/institutions and exchange project ideas.

Apart from potential applicants from three countries, from areas eligible for two IPA cross-border programmes: Bosnia and Herzegovina – Montenegro and Serbia – Bosnia and Herzegovina, representatives of National Authorities directly involved in the management and implementation of the programmes were present as well: Directorate for European Integration (DEI) from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Secretariat for European Integration (SEI) of Montenegro, and Ministry of Finance (MoF) of Serbia.

This seminar was organized by the CBIB project in close cooperation with and support from the Directorate of European Integration of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Sarajevo Regional Development Agency (SERDA).

The seminar was officially opened by Mr. Sefkija Okeric, Director of SERDA, and Mr. Miladin Milicevic, Head of Municipality of Visegrad.

Five presentations were made:

• Introduction to IPA and IPA Component II: general information on IPA Component II – Cross-Border Cooperation; Cross-border programmes 2007-2013 for the border regions; Bosnia and Herzegovina – Croatia: eligible areas, priorities with measures and operations, beneficiaries, indicative financial allocations, presented by Ms. Nada Bojanic and Mr. Branimir Gojkovic, DEI;
• Neighbourhood (2004-2006) and Cross-Border Programmes (2007-2009) in Serbia, presented by Ms. Mirjana Nozic, MoF, Republic of Serbia;
• IPA Cross-Border Programmes 2007-2013, Ms. Ratka Sekulovic, SEI, Montenegro;
• Regional project for Cross-border Institution Building – CBIB and types of cross-border project, presented by Mr. Haris Piknjac EU Expert from CBIB Sarajevo office, Ms. Maja Stojanovic and Ms. Marija Stevanovic, Local Experts from Belgrade office;
• Role of SERDA and future activities by Mr. Dragisa Marek, SERDA.

The presentations were followed by questions and answers. The participants – potential applicants, used this opportunity to address the speakers, introduce themselves and their organizations/institutions and present their project ideas and areas of cooperation they would be interested in.

Evaluation forms were distributed to the participants after the seminar. Their responses on the presentations, logistics and the overall impression of the seminar are presented in a separate document.