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The Council of the European Union has approved the Growth Plan for the countries of the Western Balkans, a new instrument to support EU-related reforms and economic growth in the region.
With this approval, all procedures have been completed and the decision enters into force immediately after publication in the official EU gazette.
After that, countries from the Western Balkans will be invited to present their reform agendas to the European Commission, presenting the socio-economic and fundamental reforms they plan to undertake in the next three years.
EU member states will have the main say in approving financial resources.
Payments will be made twice a year, provided that states meet the qualitative and quantitative steps specified in their reform agendas.
When the preconditions for support are not met or no longer met, the EU may decide to suspend the release of funds.
The purpose of the Growth Plan for the region
The Growth Plan for the Western Balkans will cover the period between 2024 and 2027.
The Growth Plan amounts to six billion euros for the countries of the region. Of this amount, two billion are in the form of grants, while four billion euros are in the form of loans with very favorable installments.
In the statement issued by the Council of the EU, it is emphasized that the main goal is support for the harmonization of partners from the Western Balkans with the values, laws, rules, standards, policies and practices of the EU, with the aim of future membership in the EU. as well as their progressive integration into a single European market, as well as socio-economic convergence with the EU.
Financial resources are planned to support a range of socio-economic and fundamental reforms, including reforms related to the rule of law and fundamental rights.
Financial aid is not unconditional
To receive support under these instruments, the countries of the region must prepare a reform agenda, highlighting the reforms they plan to undertake to achieve the goals.
Special attention should be paid to how the countries of the Western Balkans will contribute to the progressive and continuous alignment with the common foreign and security policy of the EU.
General preconditions for EU support under the Growth Plan include continued support and respect for effective democratic mechanisms, including a multi-party parliamentary system, free and fair elections, pluralistic media, an independent judiciary and rule of law. of the law, as well as guaranteeing respect for human rights, including the rights of minorities.
Kosovo and Serbia have another condition, which is related to the normalization of relations.
According to the approved decision, in order for these two countries to benefit from the Growth Plan, they must engage constructively "with measurable progress and tangible results" in the normalization of their relations in order to fully implement all obligations arising from the Agreement on the Path to Normalization and the Implementation Annex, as well as all previous agreements on dialogue and to join the negotiations for the Comprehensive Agreement on the Normalization of Relations. / REL
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