The European Commission adopted a package of eight major regional infrastructure projects in the energy and transport sectors to improve the connectivity of the Western Balkans. These projects will have a positive effect on growth and jobs and will bring clear benefits for the region’s economies and citizens. The EU will provide a grant of €145 million and a €10 million technical assistance project, which triggers loans from partner Financial Institutions (EIB, EBRD, KfW) for total investments of €540 million.

Improving connectivity within the Western Balkans and between the Western Balkans and EU is a key factor for the economic development of the region.

The Commission has made the connectivity agenda one of its highest priorities in this region, with the full buy in of partner governments. This work includes preparing and financing concrete regional infrastructure investment projects, implementing technical standards, simplifying border crossing procedures, unbundling utilities, ensuring third party access to networks, and other measures.

The European Commission, via the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF), will co-finance mature energy and transport projects. The €145 million grant will finance four power interconnections (two with Serbia’s participation), two road projects and two railway projects (both railway projects with Serbia’s participation). The package also includes a technical assistance project of €10 million linked to connectivity.

Ambassador Michael Davenport, the Head of the Delegation of the EU to the Republic of Serbia, said: “This package is a concrete result of the Western Balkans Six Summit in Vienna of last August, which brings a new dynamism to regional cooperation. Connectivity will improve the links within the Western Balkans and with the EU. Building and connecting transport and energy infrastructure is a driver for growth and jobs.”

Annex: list of projects and project fiches (as presented at the Vienna Summit) read here.

Background: The Vienna summit in August 2015 has demonstrated the EU’s strong political support for the European perspective of the Western Balkans. The Berlin process, of which the summit was part of, created a positive momentum for regional cooperation in the Western Balkans. This has helped the six Western Balkan countries achieve substantial progress in different areas, notably on connectivity. More information at: https://europa.rs/samit-o-zapadnom-balkanu-bec-2015/