This is the fifth investment package within the EU Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans
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On June 30, the European Commission announced a new financial package to support the financing of 14 leading investment projects in the fields of transport, energy, environment, human capital and support for the private sector in the Western Balkans. Among them are four infrastructure projects that are being implemented in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the country will additionally benefit from four regional projects, reports the Anadolu Agency.
The Delegation of the European Union (EU) in Bosnia and Herzegovina announced that the total value of 14 new leading investment projects in the Western Balkans is 2.1 billion euros. This amount includes EU grants worth EUR 528 million from the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA III), additional bilateral contributions from EU member states and Norway, loans from international financial institutions and contributions from the Western Balkan countries themselves.
Investments are realized through the Investment Framework for the Western Balkans (WBIF), which represents a joint financial platform of the European Commission, financial organizations, EU member states and Norway with the aim of improving cooperation in public and private sector investments in the function of socio-economic development of the region and contribution to European integration. of the Western Balkans.
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This is the fifth investment package within the Economic and Investment Plan of the EU for the Western Balkans. The projects were prepared in close cooperation with partners in the Western Balkans and international financial institutions in order to accelerate the European perspective of the region.
“With this new investment package, we are loudly and clearly telling our partners in the Western Balkans that their future is within the EU and that we are making constant progress in overcoming the existing gap in economic development. These projects will contribute to better connectivity within the region as well as with the EU, decarbonization and competitiveness of the private sector. “ stated the EU Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement, Oliver Varhelji.
Out of a total of EUR 528 million in grants that the EU has allocated to the region, EUR 303 million is intended for BiH for four important projects that will provide citizens with concrete benefits in terms of improving traffic, clean energy and the environment. The total investment made possible by these grants, together with loans from international financial institutions, amounts to 788 million euros.
One of the projects is road corridor 5c: Subsection of the highway Ozimice – Poprikuse, which will build 11.9 km of highway on Corridor 5c, from Ozimice to Poprikuse, including five tunnels and nine bridges. The second project is also a road project corridor 5c: Section of the highway Mostar North – Mostar South, which will be used to build 14.2 km of highway on Koridoru Vcstarting before the Mostar North loop and ending after the Mostar South loop.
The project to improve the water supply system in Sarajevo aims to reduce water losses by replacing or rehabilitating outdated pipelines, pumping stations and wells, which will enable the improvement of existing ones and the connection of around 4,000 new connections for households.
The fourth project is the rehabilitation of the Capljina pumped hydroelectric power plant, which is necessary in order to increase the share of renewable energy sources and reduce carbon emissions. The project will rehabilitate the equipment of Crpna HPP Čapljina, which will ensure the production and pumping potential for another 15 years of operation.
In addition to these four projects, Bosnia and Herzegovina will also benefit from four regional investments with a total value of 944 million euros, of which the EU provides 142 million euros in the form of grants. These are the Safe and Sustainable Transport Program (SSTP), GGF: Promoting green lending in the Western Balkans (II), Sustainable access to finance for entrepreneurship – SAFE and Go Digital in the Western Balkans.
(World)