EU Delegation: Serbia receives €51.7 million in pre-financing under the growth plan; Starovic: The strongest confirmation of Serbia’s progress

The Delegation of the European Union to Serbia announced that the European Commission has today transferred €51.7 million in favorable loans to the state budget of Serbia, corresponding to a portion of the pre-financing allocated under the EU Growth Plan for the Western Balkans. Serbia’s Minister for European Integration, Nemanja Starovic, stated for Kosovo Online that today’s transfer is the strongest confirmation yet of Serbia’s progress in reform processes that are guiding the country toward EU membership.

Starovic emphasized that the transfer of funds under the Growth Plan is the clearest rebuttal to malicious claims about the EU suspending its support to Serbia.

“Today’s transfer of pre-financing funds from the Growth Plan into our state budget accounts represents the strongest confirmation of Serbia’s progress in the reform processes that are leading us toward EU membership. At the same time, it is the most effective rebuttal to all those malicious claims about the EU halting its support to Serbia. Serbia’s European future, which brings prosperity to all our citizens, cannot and will not be blocked,” Starovic stated.

According to the EU Delegation in Serbia, an additional €59 million in pre-financing, in the form of grants and loans, will be channeled through the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF) to improve infrastructure across the country.

“This pre-financing represents seven percent of the total financial support allocated to Serbia under the EU Growth Plan,” the statement reads.

The European Commission has also disbursed pre-financing to North Macedonia (€24.4 million in March 2025), Albania (€30 million in March 2025), and Montenegro (€12.5 million in May 2025).

Additional pre-financing, in the form of grants and loans, will also be directed through the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF) to enhance infrastructure in these countries: €28.1 million for North Macedonia, €34.5 million for Albania, and €14.4 million for Montenegro.

“Kosovo still needs to meet the same procedural requirements in order to receive pre-financing, including ratification of the Instrument Agreement and the Loan Agreement, while Bosnia and Herzegovina has yet to submit its final Reform Agenda,” the statement concludes.