29/05/2020 (Agence Europe) – On 29 May, the EU and Serbia signed a new pre-accession assistance programme of more than €70.2 million in a virtual ceremony in the presence of the Commissioner for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement, Olivér Várhelyi, and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić. This programme is the first envelope of the EU’s Instrument for Pre-Accession (IPA) for 2020. It will support alignment with the acquis communautaire, socio-economic development, and employment, as well as social policies for the most vulnerable, says a Commission press release. Thirty million euros will be devoted to economic recovery, with grants to micro enterprises, start-ups, and business support organisations in the less developed regions of Serbia. This is the first tranche of an expected package in 2020 of more than €160 million. (SP)