Funds from W. Balkans Growth Plan Contingent on Fair Elections, Implementation of Ohrid Agreement

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A demonstrated commitment to democratic mechanisms, including fair and honest elections, the rule of law and basic human rights will be pre-requisites for the release of funds within the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, the EU has announced.

The joint position of all Union members, adopted in Brussels on March 6 by their ambassadors to the EU, requires Serbia and Kosovo in particular to “engage constructively in the normalisation of their relations with a view to fully implementing all their respective obligations stemming from the Agreement on the Path to Normalisation and its Implementation Annex [reached in Ohrid] as well as all past Dialogue Agreements.”

Additionally, both Serbia and Kosovo are expected to open negotiations on a “Comprehensive agreement on [the] normalisation of relations,” says the document, published by the Council of the EU.

The text also stresses the importance of Western Balkan countries aligning with the Union’s Common Foreign and Security Policy. The Reform Agendas each country in the region will be obligated to submit to the Council must, among other things, include an explanation of measures “expected to contribute to a progressive and continuous alignment” with the SFSP.

The intended beneficiaries of the Plan are required to respect and uphold “effective democratic mechanisms and institutions, including a multi-party parliamentary system and free and fair elections, and the rule of law, including an independent and functioning judiciary as well as fundamental rights, including freedom of expression, media freedom and to guarantee respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities,” the document reads.

The Growth Plan for the Western Balkans was presented and adopted by the European Commission along with its annual Enlargement Package on Nov. 8, 2023. Said plan envisages EUR6 billion in aid to the region, of which EUR2 billion are non-returnable grants, while EUR4 billion will be provided in the form of concessional loans from the EU.