At a working lunch in Brussels, a discussion on the reform agenda for the countries of the Western Balkans

AUTHOR: M.J.

The leaders of the countries of the Western Balkans will have a working lunch with the President of the European Commission, Ursula van der Leyen, where they will discuss the reform agenda that all countries, except Bosnia and Herzegovina, submitted to Brussels in a timely manner.

In order to receive financial resources and the Growth Plan, each country from the Western Balkans was obliged to submit a reform agenda.

These are reforms related, among other things, to the rule of law, democracy, institutional reforms, and the prevention of corruption and conflicts of interest, as well as taking the necessary steps to ensure that funds are not misused.

The working lunch will be attended by Prime Minister of Montenegro Milojko Spajić, Prime Minister of Albania Edi Rama, Chairperson of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina Borjana Krišto, Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti, Prime Minister of North Macedonia Hristijan Mickoski and President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić.

Payment delays due to Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia and Herzegovina missed the deadline for the reform agenda, and only sent one document on September 17, which sources believe is "incomplete" and does not maintain all EC recommendations.

Namely, it is necessary that the EU member states as well as the Committee for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) give a positive opinion on the reform agendas so that the European Commission can then move on to the adoption of these agendas and the conclusion of agreements on benefits and loans with each of the beneficiary countries. Only after these steps can the first payments follow.

The growth plan for the Western Balkans is the most ambitious financial package of the European Union worth six billion euros, which aims to double the economic growth in these countries in the next ten years.

The plan covers the period from 2024 to 2027. Of the total amount, two billion euros will be provided through grants, i.e. grants, and the remaining four billion euros in the form of loans with favorable interest rates.

It was precisely the lack of a reform agenda from Bosnia and Herzegovina that was the reason why the meeting of the Committee on Pre-Accession Instruments was postponed, where the evaluations of the reform agenda of all the countries of the Western Balkans were to be analyzed.

The first meeting was planned for September 17, but due to the late reaction from Sarajevo, according to RSE, the meeting was postponed to October.

Without the adoption of the reform agenda, the first payments cannot begin for any country in the region.