EU Enlargement Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi urged Western Balkan governments to launch projects to absorb EU-approved funding for the economic recovery from the Covid-19 crisis.
“I expect the leaders of the Western Balkans to approve the action plan to develop a common regional market at the Sofia summit next week,” Varhelyi said in an online meeting Thursday with the Western Balkan economy ministers.
He said that the EU Investment Plan envisages an increase in the region’s GDP by 3.6%:
“The EU expects to provide EUR 9 billion in grants, which will increase investment by at least EUR 20 billion. These investments will increase the real GDP of the region by 3.6% […] This money will go to important projects such as transport, energy, environment, digital economy and private sector development,” Varhelyi said.
He said these investments and economic growth could not be achieved if governments did not implement fundamental reforms in the economy, the rule of law, the fight against corruption, public administration reform, and democratic principles.
The European Commissioner said that the EU supports the statement of the interior ministers for the approval of the movement only with an ID card within the Western Balkans.
