The European Commission has completed EU Solidarity Fund (EUSF) assistance payments to 19 countries for a total amount of almost €385.5 million to tackle the coronavirus health emergency. This comes in addition to €132.7 million paid in 2020 to the Member States who requested an EUSF advance payment. 17 Member States had requested the EUSF support, as had Albania, Montenegro and Serbia as candidate countries. 

Albania and Montenegro received their financial support at the end of 2021, while for Serbia the signature of the delegation agreement is ongoing, with the EUSF financial assistance expected to be paid out soon after the agreement is signed.

Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, Olivér Várhelyi, said, “Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have been standing by our partners in the Western Balkans. I am pleased that Albania, Montenegro and Serbia have been able to take advantage of the EUSF support. This is yet another demonstration of the EU’s commitment to supporting the region in the fight against the coronavirus, where possible with access to the same assistance mechanisms as for our Member States.”

EUSF COVID-19 health emergency support finances medical assistance, the purchase and administration of vaccines, personal protective equipment and medical devices, costs of healthcare, laboratory analyses, prevention measures, and monitoring and control of the spread of the disease.