The European Union has announced that there is currently no pre-financing available for Kosovo and Serbia under the Western Balkans Growth Plan.
Guillaume Mercier, spokesperson for the European Commission, explained that the two countries must engage constructively in the dialogue for normalizing relations as a prerequisite to access these funds.
Pre-financing has already been granted to Albania and North Macedonia, with Albania receiving €64.5 million, including €34 million in loans for its state budget.
Mercier confirmed that there is no pre-financing for Kosovo and Serbia at this stage. Kosovo has not ratified its “loan agreement” with the EU, and therefore, cannot receive payments. Furthermore, the EU continues to uphold sanctions imposed on Kosovo in June 2023.
In total, the EU’s plan is worth €6 billion for the region, covering the period from 2024 to 2027. Kosovo is expected to receive over €880 million, with over €250 million in grants and the remainder as favorable loans.
Kosovo’s share for pre-financing would be €61 million, which represents 7% of the total allocated funds.
