The EU excludes Kosovo, Montenegro and the Republika Srpska entity from grants

2023-07-05 08:41:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Kosovo, Montenegro and the entity of Republika Srpska in Bosnia and Herzegovina, have remained outside the grants that the European Union has approved for projects within the Framework for Investments in the Western Balkans.

Serbia, Albania, North Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, respectively the Bosnian-Croat Federation, benefited from these investments.

The Western Balkans Investment Framework is a joint initiative of the EU, financial institutions and donors, aimed at the socio-economic development and European perspective of the countries of the Western Balkans.

The total value of the framework is 2.1 billion euros.

Kosovo has not benefited from the grants of the European bloc, since the EU imposed punitive measures against Pristina at the end of June, due to the non-fulfillment of Brussels' demands for the extension of the situation in the north of Kosovo. Among the punitive measures is the suspension of all EU financial programs.

In February of this year, the Government of Kosovo said that it had also applied for two investment grants and four technical assistance grants in the Investment Framework, but did not specify more about them.

Kosovo has benefited from this mechanism since 2009. Until 2021, this framework has supported 30 projects in Kosovo worth 1.8 billion euros.

Projects include road construction, railway rehabilitation, central heating systems and sewage system improvement.

For the years 2023-2030, within the framework of this mechanization, other projects have been planned in Kosovo, such as: the Prishtina-Nish Peace Highway, the Belgrade-Prishtina railway, solar heating for Pristina, the waste water treatment plant for Pristina etc.

Montenegro with "inappropriate" projects

Not even Montenegro has benefited from the bloc's grants, as the projects presented by Podgorica have been seen by the European Commission as "premature and inappropriate".

"Montenegro has presented investment projects in the fields of energy, environment and transport that have been assessed by the Western Balkans Investment Framework as premature for financing or unsuitable for financing," confirmed EC spokesperson, Ana Pisonero, through a written response to the media.

She added that she hopes that Podgorica will continue with the preparation and maturation of these investment proposals for their serial presentation in the new calls within the Framework for Investments in the Western Balkans.

Pisonero also confirmed that Montenegro benefits from three technical assistance projects, worth 3.5 million euros, within the framework of this call for the preparation of investments in the transport and energy sectors.

On June 30, the EC announced the approval of 14 major investment projects in the field of transport, energy, environment, human capital and support for the private sector in the Western Balkans.

The Serbian entity does not receive any grants

Grante në vlerë prej 303 milionë eurosh janë miratuar edhe për projektet infrastrukturore në Bosnje e Hercegovinë. Por, të gjitha grantet do të përqendrohen në Federatën boshnjake-kroate dhe jo në entitetin e Republikës Sërpska.

Grantet, pjesë e paketës së investimeve prej 2.1 miliardë dollarësh të BE-së për Ballkanin Perëndimor, do të ndihmojnë disa projekte, përfshirë ndërtimin e dy seksioneve të autostradës panevropiane që lidh Budapestin me portin kroat të Plloçes.

Projektet e tjera në Bosnje, që do të mbështeten nga këto grante, kanë të bëjnë me përmirësimin e furnizimit me ujë në Sarajevë dhe rehabilitimin e një pompe depozituese në një hidrocentral në jug të shtetit.

Bashkimi Evropian e kishte paralajmëruar presidentin e Republikës Sërpska, Millorad Dodik, që të ndalë retorikën secensioniste dhe lëvizjet që minojnë shtetin e Bosnjës.

The EU delegation in Bosnia and Herzegovina has not answered Radio Free Europe's questions about why the projects in Republika Srpska have not been supported.

The approved funds are more than half of the 528 million euros that have been approved for the region in the form of grants from the Pre-Accession Instruments (IPA), together with some contributions from the countries of the bloc and Norway, but also loans from international financial institutions. Rel