Thewesternbalkans
The EU’s new funding package for the six Western Balkans hopefuls, aimed at boosting fledgling reforms in the region, could see reform plans submitted and first disbursements made ‘before the end of the summer break’, European Commissioner for Enlargement Olivér Várhelyi announced.
His comments come as the European Parliament and Council reached a provisional deal on 4 April on a new €6 billion Reform and Growth Facility for the Western Balkans. The agreed provisional text still needs to be approved by both, which could happen by this months’ plenary session.
The region’s six countries — Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia — are at different stages in their applications for membership, but citizens have been frustrated with the slow pace of the process and lack of visible progress. Of the six, only Kosovo is not yet an official candidate for membership.
“The next step is going to be that we want to see the respective reform agendas for this year so that we can proceed with the payments – hopefully still before the end of the summer break” Várhelyi said.
Comment: The Facility Package will cover the period from 2024 to 2027 and is expected to provide up to €2 billion in grants and €4 billion in loans to the six Western Balkan’s countries. It will complement the existing Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA III), considerably increasing financial assistance to partners in the region.
In addition to the timely allocation of funds, it is also essential to develop and undertake adequate measures and guarantees to achieve the main objective of the Reform and Growth Facility which is Western Balkan’s countries alignment with the EU values, laws, rules, standards, policies and practices with a view to future EU membership.
