The European Union will provide a €1 million investment grant to Kosovo to help it improve the energy efficiency of public buildings such as kindergartens, schools and primary healthcare facilities in the city of Prizren. Complementing the EU grant, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is extending a €5 million sovereign loan for this project, implemented under the Regional Energy Efficiency Programme (REEP/REEP Plus) for the Western Balkans.

The project agreement was signed by Kosovo ‘s Minister of Finance, Hekuran Murati, and Alain Pilloux, EBRD Vice President for Banking, at the Kosovo Investment Outlook Session of the EBRD’s Annual Meeting and Business Forum in Morocco.

Kosovo’s green transition is being supported though a number of pre-agreed financing frameworks. For energy-efficiency projects such as the one in Prizren, grants are provided via the WBIF Regional Energy Efficiency Programme, which is backed by the EU, bilateral donors and the beneficiaries themselves. The REEP/REEP Plus is identified in the European Commission’s Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans as one of the flagship projects for clean energy. Such projects contribute significantly to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, and improve the living standards and health of citizens. The activities under REEP/REEP Plus are in line with the EU Regulation and Green Agenda Targets for the Western Balkans, following the five pillars of the European Green Deal.