The European Commission has confirmed that the reform agendas for the Western Balkans, excluding Bosnia and Herzegovina, have been officially approved, paving the way for the first payments to be made under the Growth Plan.
In its official announcement, the European Commission stated that payments will occur twice a year until 2027. To receive these funds, there are general conditions as well as specific ones applicable only to Kosovo and Serbia.
These conditions include a constructive commitment to dialogue and the implementation of all dialogue agreements, which will be assessed by the European External Action Service (EEAS).
“The prerequisites for maintaining democratic mechanisms, the rule of law, and respect for human rights. A specific condition applies to Serbia and Kosovo, who must engage constructively in normalizing their relations, including the implementation of all Dialogue agreements, which will be evaluated considering the role and contribution of the European External Action Service,” the Commission’s announcement states.
“Payments will be made twice a year until 2027, based on requests submitted by Western Balkan partners and verification by the Commission of three groups of conditions,” the announcement adds.
The Commission clarifies that meeting the prerequisites is key to enabling the disbursement of pre-financing, which the European Commission will monitor before each payment.
“The disbursement of pre-financing will be subject to the entry into force of facilitation and loan agreements, and will also be contingent upon compliance with the prerequisites, which the Commission will monitor prior to any payment,” the European Commission explains.
