The Bilateral Donor Community activities in 2022

The WBIF Bilateral Donors are actively involved in the WBIF governance and operations and continue to support high impact investments. Since 2009, Bilateral Donors have contributed to WBIF with a total of €122.7 million, of which approximately €60 million are co-financing flagship investments.

Start of works on the Bulgarian stretch of Serbia-Bulgaria Gas Interconnector

On 1 February 2023, the Presidents of Bulgaria and Serbia, Rumen Radev and Aleksandar Vučić, the EU Ambassador to Serbia Emanuele Giaufret, the ministers of energy of both countries, and other EU representatives attended in Sofia the start of works to build the Bulgarian stretch of the EU-financed Serbia-Bulgaria gas interconnector.

EU supports the final section of the Trans-Balkan Electricity Corridor in Serbia

At the end of January, an €8.9 million investment was signed for the implementation of the 84-km section of the Trans-Balkan Electricity Corridor in Serbia. The EU has contributed to the project with a WBIF grant of €11 million, complemented by a KfW loan of €30 million.

Bogdanci Wind Park

North Macedonia stirring towards a greener future

With EU support, North Macedonia is confidently increasing its green energy generation capacity.

EU, EBRD and WBIF Bilateral donors finance the expansion of broadband in rural Serbia

The EU supported Rural Broadband Rollout project was launched in 2020 and enables Serbia to expand the existing fibre backbone to 300,000 households and 1,500 schools/public institutions in 1,800 remote settlements in rural areas

Energy efficient homes protect the environment, save energy and money

A workshop on the topic of how to reduce the heat loss was held in the EU Info Centre in Belgrade on 30 November. At the workshop beneficiaries of the EU-supported GEFF programme shared their experience of energy-efficient homes and presented useful tips on how and where to apply to get financial aid to implement such energy efficient measures.

Completion of works on the state-of-the-art prison in Kragujevac, Serbia

On 16 November 2022, one of the most modern and secure penitentiary institutions in Europe was opened with support of the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB) loan and grants from the European Union and the WBIF Bilateral donors.

The “Hope” railway between North Macedonia and Bulgaria will be completed with the EU support

The remaining part of the long-awaited railway connection between North Macedonia and Bulgaria, which has had several attempts over the past three decades, has finally started to be built with the EU support, as part of the Pan-European Corridor VIII, connecting to the Orient/East-Med Corridor on Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T).