33. Encourages the Serbian authorities to undertake structural economic reforms so as to support growth, improve the business and investment climate throughout Serbia, and ensure balanced social and economic development across all regions, combat the high levels of unemployment and poverty, carry out fiscal consolidation, and fight corruption, which remains the major threat to the business environment; notes with concern the high youth unemployment figures, and urges the government to address the issue by providing adequate opportuni ...[+++]ties for young people and education geared to the needs of the labour market; underlines the need to ensure an accessible education system with work and training opportunities for young people and access to European study programmes such as Erasmus; welcomes the adoption of the labour law, the bankruptcy law, the privatisation law and the law on planning and construction, which represent the legislative framework for both structural reforms and the improvement of the business climate;

35. Encourages the Serbian authorities to undertake structural economic reforms so as to support growth, improve the business and investment climate throughout Serbia, and ensure balanced social and economic development across all regions, combat the high levels of unemployment and poverty, carry out fiscal consolidation, and fight corruption, which remains the major threat to the business environment; notes with concern the high youth unemployment figures, and urges the government to address the issue by providing adequate opportuni ...[+++]ties for young people and education geared to the needs of the labour market; underlines the need to ensure an accessible education system with work and training opportunities for young people and access to European study programmes such as Erasmus; welcomes the adoption of the labour law, the bankruptcy law, the privatisation law and the law on planning and construction, which represent the legislative framework for both structural reforms and the improvement of the business climate;

31. Welcomes the fact that the country continues to be the regional leader in terms of ease of doing business, as well as its improved performance in the World Bank global ranking, in which it has risen from 31st in 2013 to 30th in 2014; notes, however, that difficult contract enforcement and frequent legal changes without adequate consultation pose serious challenges to the business climate; underlines, at the same time, the importance of making progress as regards labour law and strengthening the social dialogue; stresses the need to further improve the business environment by supporting SMEs, reducing regional disparities, and link ...[+++]ing RD institutions to the business and employment sector;

30. Welcomes the fact that the country continues to be the regional leader in terms of ease of doing business, as well as its improved performance in the World Bank global ranking, in which it has risen from 31st in 2013 to 30th in 2014; notes, however, that difficult contract enforcement and frequent legal changes without adequate consultation pose serious challenges to the business climate; underlines, at the same time, the importance of making progress as regards labour law and strengthening the social dialogue; stresses the need to further improve the business environment by supporting SMEs, reducing regional disparities, and link ...[+++]ing RD institutions to the business and employment sector;

This requires stronger action to improve the policy and regulatory framework, as well as the business climate.

The main objectives of the programmes are therefore to create a favourable business climate, encourage entrepreneurship, develop businesses and improve educational/skills levels, thereby increasing employability and helping industry to become more knowledge intensive and competitive.