Feature story: Removal of the sunken WWII German fleet in Danube River

The old Danube River also holds many secrets. One such secret came out into the public after 78 years and some of the nearly 200 sunken German warships from World War 2 surfaced near Prahovo, on the border between Serbia and Romania.

Gradiška Bridge completed: EU contributed with €3.2 million in grants

The marking of the completion of works on the cross-border Bridge in Gradiška, one of the most important projects on the River Sava connecting Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia, took place on Friday, 29 July.

CONNECTA workshop ‘Technical Assistance for Smart and Sustainable Mobility’

The second workshop within CONNECTA’s sub-project ‘Technical Assistance for the Deployment of Smart and Sustainable Mobility in the Western Balkans’ was held in Belgrade on 6 July 2022.

EU and EBRD to finance road section from Skopje to the Kosovo* border

The EU and the EBRD are financing a new motorway section in North Macedonia, from the capital Skopje to Blace Interchange, close to the border with Kosovo. The new road will provide faster and easier connections for trade and citizens.

EU and EBRD to support transition to solar energy in North Macedonia

Decarbonisation plans in North Macedonia are taking a big leap forward. The EU is supporting ESM, the state-owned electricity company, to implement a 30 MW photovoltaic project consisting of 10 MW on a portion of the exhausted coal mine of thermal power plant Oslomej, and 20 MW adjacent to the thermal power plant Bitola.

WBIF 2nd Strategic and 3rd Operational Board Meetings

On 21 and 22 June, the WBIF held its 2nd Strategic Board and 3rd Operational Board Meetings in Rome, hosted by the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance.

Contract signed for the construction of a wastewater treatment plant in Podgorica

On 10 June 2022, a contract was signed for the construction of a wastewater treatment plant in Podgorica. This officially marks the beginning of the most demanding phase of the comprehensive investment project - actual construction of the plant - both in financial and construction terms as well as regarding the installation of the modern equipment for sewage treatment.

EU helps energy efficiency in public buildings in Sarajevo Canton

As part of the “Energy efficiency in public buildings in Sarajevo Canton” project, a ceremony was held on 3 June to mark the completion of works to improve the energy efficiency of the preschool institution Kindergarten “Labudovi” in Sarajevo.

The EU continues to support implementation of connectivity transport reform measures in the Western Balkans

On 27 May 2022, a joint virtual event was hosted by the EU-funded Technical Assistance to Connectivity in the Western Balkans - CONNECTA and the Transport Community Permanent Secretariat to present the sub-projects’ objectives, strategic approach and expected results.

33rd WBIF Project Financiers’ Group Meeting (PFG) 18-19 May 2022

The €120 milion Ecoloans programme for the Western Balkans is now on track

The Ecoloans programme, funded by KfW Development Bank is on track to support the countries to overcome the two key barriers, limited access to long-term finance for related investments and low awareness of businesses and the general public about the need to save energy. After successfull placements of these funds via a range of partner financial institutions a follow up programme, the Low Carbon Energy Facility, has already started.

EU-funded solar plant starts operating in North Macedonia

The first large-scale solar plant in North Macedonia ‒ financed with the support of the European Union, WBIF bilateral donors and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has been connected to the power grid and is already producing clean electricity.

Modernization of Brčko Port is progressing

The construction works on the WBIF project 'Reconstruction and Modernisation of the River Port of Brčko Phase 1' are progressing, with port plateau being completed. This is the first step in the implementation of the project, that started in June 2021.

20-01-2022

EU Funded Study for the improvement of the Digital Infrastructure in Montenegro

The development of Digital Infrastructure in Western Balkan countries constitutes a Flagship for European Union’s Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans.