Growth Plan for the Western Balkans/ EC allocates 49 million euros for Albania

2026-05-20 18:49:00, Aktualitet CNA

The European Commission has allocated another €49 million to Albania under the EU Growth Plan for the Western Balkans. The funding will support key reforms and investments related to Albania's EU integration process, economic growth, infrastructure and governance reforms.

The reforms assessed in Albania by the Commission include measures to improve the business environment, facilitate investment and innovation, and expand access to finance, including for start-ups and companies active in the green and digital sectors.

Of the 49 million euros disbursed, 22.8 million euros will be transferred to the state budget, while the remaining funds are made available for investment projects through the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF), subject to applicable approval procedures.

In addition to Albania, the European Commission has today made available €44.2 million for Montenegro and €65.7 million for North Macedonia under the Reform and Growth Instrument. This follows the third payment request and the Commission's positive assessment of the reform steps implemented in the areas of business competitiveness and innovation in Albania and Montenegro, as well as education and digitalisation in North Macedonia.

With today's disbursement, the total amount provided under the Instrument, according to the respective packages, amounts to 212.8 million euros for Albania, 89.3 million euros for Montenegro and 142.1 million euros for North Macedonia.

The funds dedicated to the WBIF, once approved by the WBIF board, will support infrastructure projects in sustainable transport, clean energy, digital development and human capital development. The projects will be implemented in close cooperation with Western Balkan partners and international financial institutions.

The Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, adopted in 2023, aims to bring the benefits of membership to the countries of the region before their accession to the EU. It aims to integrate partners into the EU Single Market, advance regional economic cooperation, deepen EU-related reforms and increase pre-accession funds. This, in turn, accelerates the enlargement process and economic growth of the partners. /CNA