First Call for Application through IPARD III coming soon

The first Public Call for Applications through the IPARD III programme of the EU for supporting agriculture and rural development has been announced. The theme of the first Public Call is diversification and development of farms with a special focus on investments for the development of rural tourism and on-farm processing.

 It’s time for IPARD III!

This programme, which will be ongoing for seven years, will enable farms to further thrive and grow.
Ambassador of the European Union to Montenegro, Oana Cristina Popa said she is pleased that the first Call for Applications for the IPARD III programme is being announced at Mr. Šahović’s factory, where the EU invested half a million Euros through the previous IPARD programme.

“In the past years, we have helped finance hundreds of investments across the country: from equipment and tractors for small farms to the constructions of large modern processing companies. I am delighted to have the opportunity to purchase goods from our IPARD beneficiaries in supermarkets, as well as know that our support is creating opportunities for them to export to the region and the EU,” said the Ambassador.

“The new programme offers great opportunities for the Montenegrin agriculture, as well as for rural tourism. We hope that through the IPARD support we will contribute to reversing the trend of depopulation in some parts of the country,” added Ambassador Popa. She wished all users and applicants of the IPARD programme good luck and success in achieving their plans through the new programme.

Minister Joković emphasised that the concept of diversification in agriculture represents a special development opportunity, especially in the northern part of Montenegro.

“By developing processing on family farms, we contribute to increasing the quality and diversity of products offered by Montenegrin farmers,” said the Minister.

He invited all interested parties to apply for this and future Public Calls and to take part in workshops, which will be organised as part of the information campaign on the first Public Call from 8 to 15 February 2024. After the workshops, the IPARD “open door” days will be organised, through which interested parties will have the opportunity to get additional information.

The conference was preceded by a meeting between the Ambassador and the Minister on the topic of continuing and improving cooperation with the EU institutions in the field of agriculture and rural development.

Ambassador Popa congratulated the Ministry on the start of the new IPARD III programme as well as on successfully using all available funds through the previous IPARD II programme in 2023. The Ambassador said that the speed of legislative work linked to three chapters under the responsibility of the Ministry (agriculture, rural development, food safety, veterinary, and phytosanitary services, fisheries, and aquaculture) has not been optimal in the past years, and that now is the right time to speed it up.

“The EU has made available a €9 million package of support to help Montenegro advance in closing the accession benchmarks in these areas,” explained the Ambassador, adding that “the EU support will help Montenegrin citizens get access to more jobs in these sectors, provide safe and healthy foods, and reverse the trend of depopulation of rural areas.”

For more information visit the website of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Water Management.

The timesheet for the informative workshops that will be organised by municipalities during the promotion of the FIRST Public Call for Measure 7 and Sub-measure 7.1: