IPA funds to be available until the end of June

Rescue operations undertaken by the European Union during the recent floods and long-term assistance to Bosnia and Herzegovina were the topic of today's meeting between the Head of the EU Delegation to BiH and the Special Representative of the EU, Ambassador Peter Sorensen, and the President of the Government of Republika Srpska, Željka Cvijanović.

Ambassador Sorensen informed Prime Minister Cvijanović about the emergency material and rescue assistance provided by twenty EU member states.

More than 400 rescuers from EU member states are involved in emergency rescue operations. The Ambassador stated that the European Union is intensively consulting with BiH authorities regarding the allocation of millions of euros from IPA funds for medium-term and long-term assistance, which will be available until the end of June.

Once the Recovery Needs Assessment is published, the European Union will address the issue of further assistance from IPA II funds (2014-2020).

Incidentally, a press conference is planned for tomorrow with Sorensen and the team leader/coordinator on behalf of the European Union for the Recovery Needs Assessment, Ricardo Zapata Marti, who will present activities related to the assessment of recovery needs after the floods in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Recovery Needs Assessment, led by the BiH authorities with the support of the European Union, the United Nations, and the World Bank, will assess the impact of the floods on people's lives and the most important sectors in the affected areas.

Ricardo Zapata Marti is a recipient of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize, together with other members of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), NAP reports.