The European Commission has begun disbursing initial payments from the EU Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, but neither Kosovo nor Serbia have received funds yet due to a prerequisite tied to their ongoing normalization process, BV reports.
“As part of the Growth Plan, Serbia and Kosovo are subject to a prerequisite requiring constructive engagement in dialogue for the normalization of relations. At this stage, I cannot confirm whether this condition has been met. This will become clear once a decision is made on pre-financing,” said European Commission spokesperson Guillaume Mercier.
Sources familiar with the matter say both countries will receive pre-financing, but at different times. Serbia is expected to get its first installment in the coming days, while Kosovo will only gain access to funds after forming new government institutions, as parliamentary ratification of the agreement is required.
Meanwhile, Albania and North Macedonia have already received their initial payments, amounting to 7% of their total funding allocation. Kosovo is set to receive over €880 million under the Growth Plan, with an initial disbursement of €56.6 million.
EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos wrote on social media platform X that the funding will support key reforms, economic growth, and improvements in citizens’ lives while bringing the region closer to the EU.
“Congratulations to North Macedonia and Albania for setting the pace in the Western Balkans by securing pre-financing under the EU Growth Plan. This will drive reform implementation and bring countries closer to the EU,” Kos wrote.
According to the EU Delegation in Skopje, North Macedonia has received an initial €52.2 million installment to support its reform agenda. The country is set to receive a total of €750.4 million from the Reform and Growth Fund between 2024 and 2027.
Albania, meanwhile, will have access to a total of €920 million under the EU Growth Plan for the Western Balkans.
The EU Growth Plan aims to strengthen the region’s economic ties with the EU by gradually providing access to the bloc’s single market.
