An event marking the start of EU-supported construction works to modernise the port of Brčko in Bosnia and Herzegovina took place on 15 June. Sitting on the banks of the river Sava, Brčko is strategically located, bordering both Croatia and Serbia. Participants at the opening included the Mayor of Brčko, the President of the Brčko Assembly, representatives of the European Union, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the Office of the High Representative.

The Head of the EU Delegation to Bosnia and Herzegovina and EU Special Representative, Ambassador Johann Sattler, said: “Thanks to its strategic and geographical position, the port of Brčko can become a key transit point for the flow of freight traffic between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the European Union. The current infrastructure is outdated and difficult to access by rail, but after the reconstruction it can become a central link for the region’s economies.”

The Brčko Port investment has been identified in the EU’s Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans as one of the priority ‘flagship’ transport projects to improve connections ‘East to West’. The first phase includes constructing a port plateau and upgrading existing road and rail access. A new crane with a carrying capacity of up to 16 tonnes (three times more than the current one) will increase the handling capacity of goods to 150 to 200 tonnes per hour.

The total value of the project is €10 million, financed by a grant of over €3 million from the European Union combined with a €7 million loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. These funds are channelled through the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF) – a donor coordination platform that pools funds from various sources, including the European Commission.