Out of the 38.5 million euros of the promised aid from Brussels, the first money for projects in northern Kosovo could arrive in November.

Out of the promised EU aid of 38.5 million euros, Serbian municipalities have not received a cent. Will any of this arrive in November, a new date mentioned after the use of "fast" measures, seems depend on whether or not they will accept the political conditionality from Brussels. And the U.S. announced that in the next five years, they might allocate 20 million dollars in aid to the four northern municipalities but the Serbs in the north do not trust the promises at all and resemble the most recent example when USAID rejected in the tender an offer of Serbian companies and Albanian companies won.

European Commissioner for Enlargement Stefan Fule in early May announced that the EU set aside 38.5 million euros to help Serbian municipalities, with special emphasis on the four northern Serbian municipalities. Before that, on 31 October last year, the European Commission approved 15 million euros in aid for the said beneficiaries, and only two days before the local elections in Kosovo.

The Office of the EU in Kosovo to Politika said that 38.5 million, which was announced by Commissioner for Enlargement Stefan Fule on 6 May during a meeting with the mayors of four northern municipalities, is the total amount that the European Commission intends to allocate from the IPA fund to assist the implementation of the Brussels Treaty and contribute improvement of the living conditions in all areas with Serbian majority. Aforementioned 15 million are included in this total.

However, to the satisfaction of those who believe that the EU ignores them, even out of the initial15 million, there was nothing.

"Since September last year till today not a single euro entered Leposavić. They just give us conditions: first take an oath, elect a president of the Assembly, and then two or three months passes until the statute complies with Pristina, then you have to pass the budget, and now again elections," said Dragan Jablanović.

"The last three months was discussed with representatives of the EU on grant for rural and economic development of northern Kosovo; three for Agriculture and two for small businesses. First it was said that these funds will arrive in March, and in April, here it is May, and there is nothing. Now they say that 3.5 million for business development will be added to the grant scheme for rural and economic development. Now, they add, that and out of those previous five million there is nothing. And they do it all the time," says Jablanović.

After correspondence with EU Special Representative in Pristina Samuel Zbogar, Leposavic Mayor, who is also a member of the management team for the implementation of the Brussels agreement, say that they got a hint that some of that money could arrive in early November.

After complaint that none of this money is invested, in a meeting with Fule in early May expressed by presidents of the four northern municipalities and Fule’s ascertainment addressed to Zbogar that it seems they do not "human capital", the mayors on May 22 from the EU representative in Pristina received a letter with a plan of measures.

Under the "fast" measures, which Fule announced, from Zbogar’s office a letter was sent to mayors in which they are invited to propose projects dedicated to regional and economic development.

The letter stated that the tenders for private persons could be scheduled in October or November of 2014, and to the fund of five million will be added another 3.5 million euros. The deadline for submitting applications is 2 July, and a new meeting is announced that should be held in June.

The second measure relates to 500,000 euros for infrastructure projects to every municipality in the north, which can be used to finance individual projects with a value of 150,000 to 300,000 euros. Projects should be submitted by 30 May. The third measure is related to a number of municipal employees who will be allowed to attend universities in the EU from the beginning of the academic 2014/2015.

Help in the American Way

Two weeks ahead of the early elections for the Kosovo parliament, the U.S. ambassador in Pristina, Tracey Ann Jacobson has announced that in the next five years, the U.S. will invest nearly $ 20 million in the municipalities in the north. The importance of the link between the money with the elections, stressed the Ambassador herself by saying that these are "historic elections" because they are held for the first time on the territory of entire Kosovo, and that the U.S. administration is pleased that after last year's municipal elections on projects now can cooperate with municipal authorities instead with representatives of civil society.

According to Jacobs, one of the projects "Improve Kosovo together" partly refers to the north, and partly to the south and is designed to support entrepreneurship. "The Initiative for Democratic Effective Municipalities" provides technical support to all the new municipalities and is predicted to send 100 students from Kosovo to Master studies in the United States. There are several projects that the United States did with the representatives of the communities in the north, where they were asked what they wanted to do together. Dragan Jablanovic told Politika about his experience from the project, who is a member of the management team for the implementation of the Brussels Treaty Dragan Jablanović.

"Two months ago representatives of USAID (United States Agency for International Development) said that right now we have available $ 100,000, to have to be used within 45 days. Here, it's been 60 days, they delay and nothing has been used. We wanted to do some repairs on the municipal building. They told us it is $ 70,000. Then they gave up on the project and said that they can give the money only for the meeting hall. Then they wanted to enforce on us to give two-thirds of the money for the technique: the microphones and cameras that will record the session and through video links directly transfer to Pristina. I said that this is not an option," says Jablanović.

"Now the project of $ 57,000 for the meeting room they are slicing and call three tenders: one for technique and one for chairs and benches, and a third for walls. They say it is by the U.S. law. We made an agreement that these jobs get companies from northern Kosovo, to hire workers. On the first tender were rejected all offers from the north, and the work was given to Albanians from Pristina. That's how it goes," says Jablanović.