Brussels, 17/12/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 17 December, the European Commission finalised its 2014 package of pre-accession assistance which totals €2 billion to support reforms in the Balkans (Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Kosovo) and in Turkey.
The funding comes under the instrument for pre-accession assistance (IPA), and also - for Turkey and FYROM - from multi-annual three-year programmes. “These funds will support concrete democratic and economic reforms: from modernisation of the judiciary and public administration, to investments in infrastructure and connectivity between the enlargement countries and with the EU member states”, said Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn.
The funding for Turkey totals €1.159 billion. FYROM benefits from €134 million, Serbia from €115.1 million, Albania from €66.7 million, Kosovo from €66 million, Montenegro from €35.7 million and Bosnia-Herzegovina from €22.6 million.
The rest of the funding concerns cross-border programmes up to €11.4 million, the facility for civil society (€68.7 million), multi-country programmes (€152.6 million), special measures for flooding in Serbia and Bosnia (€127 million) and support measures in Bosnia (€21.1 million). (CG)