Brussels, 05/07/2016 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 4 July, European Commissioner for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn announced in Paris the release of €146 million for projects linked to connectivity in the Balkans.
“We have decided to provide €96 million for 3 railway infrastructure projects in Serbia, Albania and in Kosovo. We will also provide €50 million for greening measures such as energy efficiency in residential buildings and small-scale hydro projects”, he said at the Balkans summit Business Forum (see other article).
Hahn also stated that connectivity was not just about building new infrastructure but about ensuring the best use of infrastructure. “Investment without reforms makes little sense”, he said, underlining that the countries in the region should respect the commitments taken, especially on reform measures concerning transport and energy.
“The connectivity agenda has the potential to improve the competitiveness of the region by reducing the costs for businesses when goods are moved through the region. That potential will only be fully met if all the identified reforms are implemented in full whilst countries focus their limited fiscal space on the most important investment priorities”, Hahn concluded. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)