PROGRAM OF GOVERNMENT 2017-2020 of premises to meet the most urgent needs of our diplomatic and consular missions abroad. Our approach is based on the development of a culture of dialogue, debate and full transparency in the process of EU accession. In the first year of the mandate, we will launch a transparent process for nomination of Macedonia’s Chief Negotiator, hopefully chosen consensually between government and opposition, who will start preparing and drafting the negotiating positions for Chapters 23 (Judiciary and Fundamental Rights) and 24 (Justice, Freedom and Security). The implementation of the South East Europe Strategy 2020 will be reintroduced in the government agenda with specifically reserved finances. As part of the Republic of Macedonia’s new regional initiatives we will opt for the establishment of Regional Gender Ombudsman promoting gender equality policies in the Western Balkans and the establishment of the Regional Political Academy for political party capacity building hosted by Macedonia and financed through IPA. The European financial support scheme will be geared towards the general Europeanization of the country. IPA will no longer be perceived as the instrument intended solely for preparing the public administration for negotiations for EU membership, but capacity building of all actors in society. In this sense, funds will have to be made available for municipalities, schools, trade unions, marginalized groups, employers, unemployed persons, small and medium enterprises, civil society organizations, universities and research institutions, and other informal groups of citizens. The Government will immediately publish a comprehensive report on the exact amount of lost (unused) EU funds, thus soliciting an open process of increased transparency regarding their management and use. In coordination with the European Commission, we will offer instruments for faster and more successful use of EU funds. We will establish a special team dedicated to use of funds and opportunities provided by the Western Balkans Investment Fund (WBIF) and the Joint Assistance to Support Projects in the European Regions (JASPERS). The Government will invest in teams working as EU framework consultants by financing their training abroad. They will assist target groups in preparing fiches for European projects – small and medium enterprises for accessing finance under COSME; students, pupils, professors and universities for applying under the Erasmus Plus grant scheme; participation of research centers, universities, enterprises and innovators in the Horizon 2020 program; production houses and media in Media; applications to the EaSi program for social innovations designed by civil society organizations, municipalities and public enterprises; access to the Culture programme for cultural centers, production houses, artists and theaters; Customs for the Customs administration; the Fiscalis programme for the national tax administration; and the EU Civil Protection Mechanism for municipalities and regions. All entities who will succeed in securing co-financing from other European funds will be supported by other appropriate measures – from application to implementation. In view of unhindered use of European funds, the Government will establish a so-called Development Fund for skills and capacity building of all potential European funds users and matching up funds necessary for co-financing (fundamental challenge when it comes to IPA and other European programmes, such as Horizon, COSME, EaSI, Eras14