The Council for Balanced Regional Development held its 39th session, the first in 2025, and the second chaired by the Minister of Local Self-Government, Zlatko Perinski.
At today's session, the Council unanimously adopted decisions determining the indicators for identifying areas with specific development needs and the list of such areas. The list is updated every 5 years in accordance with the law.
"As I announced a month ago at the Council session where I first chaired it, we will meet with increased frequency compared to the previous period to discuss, decide, and work towards promoting development in all municipalities and planning regions, according to the needs of the citizens. Balanced development is a goal that is difficult to achieve even in the most developed countries, but with properly targeted policies, the development of the regions in the country can be brought closer," emphasized Minister Perinski.
The Council for Balanced Regional Development is a coordinating body among the competent ministries that have budget programs influencing regional development, but it also ensures coordination with the Development Councils of the planning regions, where mayors from the respective planning regions are members. Since the previous session, the Council also includes ministers from the new ministries—the Ministry of Energy, Mining, and Mineral Resources, and the Ministry of Sport—according to the latest amendments to the Law on Balanced Regional Development, which align it with the Law on Organization and Work of State Administration Bodies.
Based on the proposal of the Council for Balanced Regional Development, the decisions are made by the Government.