Commissioner Kos meets with Western Balkans leaders to promote growth in the region

On Monday 30 June and Tuesday (1 July), Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos (pictured) will meet with leaders from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia to accelerate the delivery of the EU's Growth Plan for the Western Balkans. The plan offers benefits to these countries which are preparing for EU membership, and this meeting will review progress and discuss next steps.

The leaders will work with Commissioner Kos to turn commitments into action, focusing on critical reforms to unlock funding under the Growth Plan and deliver tangible benefits to citizens of candidate countries ahead of accession. The summit will also be an opportunity to discuss new areas of cooperation: consumer protection, tourism and the Single Market Highway, aimed at advancing the economic integration of the Western Balkans into the EU's Single Market. As part of the discussions, the Commission will also propose a €87.7 million investment package within the existing Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF). This package is expected to mobilise nearly half a billion euro in private investments in clean-energy projects across the region.

The EU's Growth Plan for the Western Balkans aims to boost the region's economy and help its countries join the EU. It provides €6 billion in funding for reforms and investments in areas like energy, transport, and digital transformation, with the goal of increasing prosperity and stability in the region.

A press conference with Commissioner Kos and Prime Minister of North Macedonia Hristijan Mickoski will be broadcast today (1 July) at 12:15 CEST and can be followed on EBS.

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