The BP growth plan, they speak from the EU: Sė momentally “prefinance” for Kosovo and Serbia

The European Union has said it currently does not have a “prefinance” for Kosovo and Serbia, according to the Western Balkans Growth Plan.

European Commission spokesman Guillaume Mercier has said that in procedures for “The Growth Plan”, there is precondition for Kosovo and Serbia to engage in dialogue for normalisation of relations constructively.

The EU has made the first payments to Albania and Northern Macedonia.

The word is for “prefinance” that covers 7 percent of overall means, which from this plan are dedicated to Albania.

Albania has already been paid 64.5m euros, out of which 34m loans to the state budget, while the rest for infrastructure.

“can confirm that there is no pre-finance for Serbia and Kosovo at this stage. Earlier this week and last week, there was a pre-finance for northern Macedonia and Albania. But, the process is continuing for Kosovo and Serbia”, Mercier told the media conference..

“In procedures for the Development Plan, there is a prerequisite when it comes to Serbia and Kosovo, which is to engage constructively in dialogue for normalisation of relations. At this stage you can confirm whether the precondition has been met or not. It will be explained when a decision is made concerning prefinance”.

Mercier has said assessments of different criteria must be made, and the precondition for constructive engagement is one of them.

Kosovo has not ratified the loan agreement “with the EU and until it does so it cannot receive payment. Meanwhile, towards Kosovo the EU is holding the punitive measures imposed in June 2023.

The EU has decided that all countries for which reform agencies have been approved and growth paid as “before financing”, 7 percent of the means dedicated to that country. All countries in the region, except Bosnia and Herzegovina, have met the condition of adopting reform agendas.

The total package is worth 6 billion euros for all countries in the region between 2024 and 2027. Of this amount, 2 billion are grants from the EU without return, while the rest in favourable credit form. According to an unofficial estimate, Kosovo could benefit more than 880m euros from this growth plan.

Over 250 million Kosovo will be split as no return money, while the rest in the form of convenient loans.

According to this, Kosovo would be paid 7 per cent initially as “prefinance”, which is about 61m euros. On average, Kosovo will benefit most from all countries in the region from this package.

Albania will benefit a total of 922m euros, total North Macedonia will have 750m euros available, Serbia 1.58 billion euros, Bosnia and Herzegovina 1 billion and 85m euros, while Montenegro will have 383m euros. /Periscope.