03/07/2023 (Agence Europe) – On Friday 30 June, the European Commission launched a new financial package to support 14 projects in the fields of transport, energy, the environment and support for the private sector in the Western Balkans. “With this new investment programme, we are sending a strong and clear message to our partners in the Western Balkans: their future lies in the EU”, commented the European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, Olivér Várhelyi. This fifth programme under the EU Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans will receive €2.1 billion. Some €528 million will come from the EU’s Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA III). The remainder will come from additional bilateral contributions from EU Member States and Norway, loans from international financial institutions and contributions from the economies of the Western Balkans. See projects: https://aeur.eu/f/7vo (TM)