European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is expected to visit Serbia next week to discuss, among other issues, Serbia’s reform program under the New Growth Plan for the Western Balkans.
The new growth plan for the Western Balkans, approved by the European Commission in November, will provide a total of 6 billion euros to the region, including Serbia. To receive the payment, countries will have to adopt reform programs that bring the region closer to the European Union in preparation for accession.
Serbia has already presented its plan to Europe and is in the internal consultation phase. Tanja Miščević, Minister of European Integration of the Government of Serbiahas said that “there is not much work left” to do and that “there is little time left” since, at the beginning of September, the Commission and the Member States must confirm the reform agendas of the Western Balkans.
The minister added that “unfortunately Bosnia and Herzegovina has not fully prepared the document, to prepare a model agreement on the financial subsidy.” It is expected that the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyenvisit Serbia next week to discuss, among other issues, Serbia’s reform program within the framework of the New Growth Plan for the Western Balkans.
The European Commission’s criteria for evaluating Western Balkan reform proposals
The European Commission explains to ‘Euronews’ that financial aid will depend on the success of the implementation of the reforms.
“The agenda reforms are divided into quantitative and qualitative and will serve as conditions for payments, and each step will have an implementation period. The corresponding funds will be released twice a year, based on the request of the beneficiary of the funds and verification by the Commission subject to three sets of conditions. Pre-financing is planned until the end of 2024,” the EC reported.
Las conditions exposed, in the response to ‘Euronews’ are, among others, those that are always demanded of EU candidates, that is, respect for democratic mechanisms: multiparty parliament, free and fair elections, media pluralism, Independent Judiciary, Rule of Law… Belgrade and Pristina also have an additional prerequisite: the normalization of their relations.
Aleksandar Ivković, researcher at the Center for Contemporary Politics of the Western Balkans says that “these are more political conditions and the European Union will apply them or not according to its political assessment.”
Of the 6 billion mentioned, two will be paid directly into the countries’ budgets, while four will be in the form of loans. According to some estimates, not yet official, Serbia could receive 1.63 billion euros.
