The European Commission today made available 49 million euros to Albania, 44.2 million to Montenegro, and 65.7 million to North Macedonia from the Program for Reforms and Growth. This disbursement follows the third request from these countries and the Commission’s positive evaluation of reforms in the fields of operational competitiveness and innovation in Albania and Montenegro, and in education and digitalization in North Macedonia.
Including today’s funds, Albania has so far received 212.8 million euros from the Growth Plan, Montenegro 89.3 million, and North Macedonia 142.1 million.
Serbia, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and other countries in the region are also included in the program’s framework and can receive significant financial support from the European Union through reform procedures. However, Bosnia and Herzegovina has not yet gained access to these funds because the Agreement on the Instrument for Reforms and Growth has not been reached – a document that is a basic condition for the start of payments from the European fund. Bosnia and Herzegovina is currently the only country in the region that has not begun using funds from the European Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, even though about one billion euros in support is allocated for Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The issue, based on available information, has arisen due to disagreements within the ruling coalition at the state level. Srđan Amidžić, a member of the SNSD (Alliance of Independent Social Democrats), has been recommended as program coordinator, a move opposed by the ministers of the Troika.
The European plan states that Bosnia and Herzegovina can receive a total of 976.5 million euros, provided it implements the reforms defined by the Reform Agenda adopted by local authorities at the end of last year in Brussels. According to program rules, the first tranche of aid, worth over 60 million euros, should be disbursed without additional conditions, while all subsequent disbursements will depend on concrete reform results and fulfillment of established objectives.
Institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina have until June 2027 to implement reforms in multiple fields, and successful implementation of the planned measures could bring the country around 378 million euros from upcoming stages of European Union financial support.
In Albania, the reforms evaluated by the Commission include measures to enhance the business environment, facilitate investment in innovation, and expand access to finance, including for startups and companies active in the green and digital sectors. Of the allocated 49 million euros, 22.8 million will be transferred to the state budget, and the remainder will be available for investment projects through the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF), in accordance with the applicable approval procedures.
In Montenegro, the Commission evaluated reforms in research and innovation, including support for scientists, entrepreneurs, and research institutions, as well as further strengthening of the national innovation ecosystem. Of the total sum, 20.6 million euros will go to the state budget, and the rest will fund projects within the WBIF, the Commission said. Funds were also approved for North Macedonia for reforms, including measures to enhance financing of primary and secondary education and to expand access to digital infrastructure and IT equipment in schools.
A total of 30.6 million euros will be transferred to the state budget, and the remainder will be allocated through the WBIF for investment projects. The Commission said that the funds from the WBIF, once approved by the administration of that investment framework, will support infrastructure projects in the sectors of sustainable transport, clean energy, and the development of digital and human capital.
Projects will be implemented in close cooperation with EU partners from the Western Balkans and international financial institutions. The plan for the Western Balkans, adopted in 2023, aims to offer membership benefits to partners from the region before they join the EU. That plan is supported by the Program for Reforms and Growth, a financial instrument of six billion euros.
Since 2024, 673.5 million euros has been disbursed from that instrument.
