Serbia

The European Training Foundation (ETF) cooperates with, and complements the work of the European Commission and the European External Action Service in its support to Serbia, including providing assistance to the Delegation of the European Union to Serbia, contributing to the EU-Serbia bilateral policy dialogue.

The ETF is actively supporting the implementation of actions in the Osnabrück Declaration in the region, in close cooperation with its sister agency Cedefop. The Osnabrück Declaration sets out policy actions for the 2021–25 period, in support of the Council Recommendation on vocational education and training (VET) for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience. The national implementation plan for Serbia describes how the country plans to address EU priorities and achieve its national objectives in VET.

The ETF also gives input to EU policy monitoring mechanisms, providing progress on training and employment developments and wider human capital developments reported in the Torino Process, and gives input to the annual Economic Reform Programme review. It supports Serbian actors participation in European platforms and dialogue processes such as the Youth Guarantee, entrepreneurship schemes, European Alliance for Apprenticeship, and Erasmus+.

The ETF provides expertise and collaborates closely with public/private institutions assessing the future of skills for youth in the country through high-level policy dialogue reform structures, operational strategic national coordination structures, and technical working groups with key stakeholders supported by EU projects and programmes.