The 16th consecutive yearly Financing Agreement between the European Union and Kosovo under the EU’s Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA) was presented to Deputy Prime Minister Besnik Bislimi on March 24 in Pristina by EU Ambassador to Kosovo Tomas Szunyog. The agreement, which is worth €62 million and is a component of IPA III for the years 2021–2027, raises the total amount of direct financial aid from the EU to more than €1.3 billion and reaffirms the EU and its Member States as the main donors of funds to Kosovo.

This is the second financial assistance agreement between the EU and Kosovo this year; just last month, the EU provided to Kosovo €75 million under its Energy Support Package for the Western Balkans to help its citizens and businesses cope with the increased energy prices, stimulate energy saving, and improve energy efficiency.

The Financing Agreement signed today by Deputy Prime Minister Bislimi will help Kosovo to enhance the socio-economic integration of non-majority communities and returnees, develop waste and wastewater management infrastructure, including the sewage system in the capital Pristina, improve energy efficiency in the public sector, and align Kosovo laws with the EU acquis and support legal professionals.

The EU started providing IPA funding to Kosovo back in 2007. IPA I and IPA II programmes covered the 2007-2020 period, including 14 annual Financing Agreements worth €1.2 billion. IPA III funding covering the 2021-2027 period and associated annual Financing Agreements started being implemented last year, with the Agreement for 2021 worth €64 million and for 2022, delivered today, worth €62 million.