Conference devoted to presentation of IPA funds and effective monitoring over the spending of those, ended in Ohrid today. The Conference was organized by the Parliament of Macedonia and Westminster Foundation for Democracy.

In the first part of the second working day, it was emphasised that strengthening of institutions was of key importance for more successful absorption of funds. It was also emphasised that it was very important to act in the direction of raising awareness on benefits of the IPA funds, having on mind that IPA was changing the overall society, and that it was intended for everybody,  not only for institutions. What shall be for certain the challenge in the period to come is construction of Decentralised management system.

In the part of the Conference when MPs discussed the role of the Committee on European Integration in the monitoring and oversight over the IPA funds, member of the Committee on European Integration of the Parliament of Montenegro Mr Genci Nimanbegu had presentation.

In the second part of the day, the Westminster Foundation for Democracy presented priorities for the following six months relating the support of the Network of Parliamentary Committees for Economy and Finance and European Integration of the Western Balkan.

It was concluded that parliaments had to work continuously on improvement of the oversight role and that civic sector should be included in that process. With regard to that, networking of parliamentary committees was assessed as a good contribution to better implementation of reforms and adoption of good practices supported by the Westminster Foundation for Democracy.  Mr Vladimir Marinković, deputy member of the Committee on Finance, State Budget and Control of Public Spending, on behalf of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, took over the presidency of the Network of Parliamentary Committees for Economy and Finance and European Integration of the Western Balkan, for the period October 2013 – March 2014.

Delegation of the Parliament of Montenegro consisted of: Mr Genci Nimanbegu, Mr Srđa Popović, Mr Šefkija Murić and Mr Aleksandar Damjanović.