The European Commission announced on Wednesday 22 April that it has adopted a proposal for a three billion euros macrofinancial assistance package to ten enlargement and neighbourhood countries.
The aim is to help them limit the economic consequences of the coronavirus pandemic, according to the Commission press release.
The Commission is therefore proposing a programme for the countries of the Western Balkans with a budget of 750 million euros: 180 million for Albania, 250 million for Bosnia and Herzegovina, 100 million for Kosovo, 160 million for North Macedonia and 60 million for Montenegro.
For the Eastern Neighbourhood, the proposal envisages support of 1.2 billion euros for Ukraine, 150 million euros for Georgia and 100 million euros for Moldova.
On the Mediterranean flank, Tunisia could benefit from 600 million euros and Jordan from 200 million euros.
The macrofinancial assistance funds will be made available to the countries for 12 months in the form of loans on very favourable terms, the Commission says.
The proposal has yet to be adopted by the EU Council and the European Parliament. After this adoption by the co-legislators and the conclusion of a Memorandum of Understanding with each partner country, the first disbursement instalment can be released “as swiftly as possible”, according to the Commission. The second instalment could be dispersed in the fourth quarter of 2020 or the first half of 2021, “provided that the policy measures attached to it have been implemented in a timely manner”. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)