Following the successful preparation of the country’s Reform Agenda, North Macedonia is the first country to receive the pre-financing foreseen under the EU’s Growth Plan for the Western Balkans. The pre-financing in the amount of EUR 52.2 million is underway and is to support the implementation of the Reform Agenda and the commitments that North Macedonia undertook with it.
With this pre-financing North Macedonia will be receiving EUR 24.5 million for the state budget as support for the implementation of the reforms foreseen by the Reform Agenda, while EUR 28 million will be injected directly to WBIF (Western Balkans Investment Framework) and will be used for infrastructure projects in North Macedonia.
The structural changes required, in North Macedonia will be supported with EUR 750.4 million in total from the Reform and Growth Facility for the Western Balkans over the period 2024 – 2027, with focus on the priorities under public administration, rule of law and anti-corruption, decarbonisation and digitalisation, connectivity and human capital development.
_Background_
The EU integration process requires a set of reforms that would lead to accelerated socio-economic convergence with the European Union and its single market. European Union’s Growth Plan for the Western Balkans aims at accelerated integration of the region to the EU, including progressive access to EU’s single market. The Plan is supported by a new performance-based financing instrument, the Reform and Growth Facility for the Western Balkans. It consists of up to EUR 6 billion in total for the period 2024-2027, of which EUR 2 billion in grants and EUR 4 billion in favourable loans. At least half of the overall envelope will be supporting infrastructure investments and connectivity, including transport, energy and green and digital transitions. The remaining part of loans will be released as direct support to the national budgets and intended for implementation of the reforms.
To benefit from the Facility, each country had to prepare a Reform Agenda, which is consulted, assessed and approved by the European Commission following positive assessment by the EU Council. The release of the funds foreseen for each country will be conditional upon the successful implementation of Reform Agendas. The Reform Agenda is a tool aiming to ensure the implementation of the necessary reforms that would lead to societal transformation by accelerating the alignment of the priority areas with the EU values, policies and practices.