EU releases first 61.8 million euros to Kosovo under Growth Plan
Brussels pays the first tranche to Pristina, with the remainder of the package conditional on reforms.
PRISTINA — The European Union has released the first 61.8 million euros for Kosovo under the Western Balkans Growth Plan, Nacionale reports.
The first payment is seen as a sign of Brussels’ political confidence in Pristina, but also as an incentive to push forward the reforms tied to this financial instrument, which encompasses more than six billion euros for the entire region.
According to Nacionale, the government of Kosovo has confirmed that the funds will be used for projects in infrastructure, green and digital transformation, and the alignment of legislation with the acquis communautaire.
The conditions awaiting Pristina
Further funds from the Growth Plan are conditioned on the passage of a reform agenda in the Assembly. That is precisely where the risk surfaces, as the political deadlock over the election of the president is slowing legislative work and putting parliament into wait mode.
European integration analysts emphasize that if the political deadlock leads to fresh elections, the reform calendar will have to be rewritten and future disbursements could be significantly delayed.
According to European officials cited by Nacionale, “the Growth Plan is a two-way bridge: on one side it brings money, on the other it demands decisions.”
For Kosovo, which holds the status of a potential EU membership applicant, this tranche is a first test of the institutional capacity to manage large European funds transparently and within set deadlines.
Source: Nacionale