At its session held on 20 September 2005, the Poverty Reduction Committee of the National Assembly of the Republicof Serbiareached final agreement on the start of implementation of the Flooded Areas Assistance Project. In the first three phases of the Project, supported by the Ministry of International Economic Relations, the Poverty Reduction Task Force of the Deputy Prime Minister of the Government of the Republicof Serbia, and the United Nations Development Programme, Committee members are to visit the nine municipalities hit by flooding last spring.

In addition to the deputies, a UNDP consultant, Milenko Andjelkovic, is also to visit the municipalities of Krusevac, Prokuplje, Blace, Leskovac, Zitoradja, Bela Crkva, Plandiste, Zitiste and Secanj. Mr Andjelkovic is to train municipal teams in drafting development programmes. The programme is for each municipality in the Banatdistrict and in the south of Serbiato draft two individual and two joint projects over the coming two months.

The plan is for assets earmarked by UNDP to support team training in drafting projects fostering economic growth and employment to be spent in the most effective manner. Final project drafts should be ready by 10 November 2005for project implementation in spring 2006.