The EIB in the Western Balkans

Overview

We started operations in this region in 1977 supporting the reconstruction and upgrade of public infrastructure. In the last decade we have expanded our work to other sectors and contributed to strengthen regional cooperation, as well as the economic convergence with the EU.
Under the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans we work closely with the European Commission, blending our loans with EU grants to achieve an optimal financing package.

Our current role is to support:

Our activity in 2023

In line with the Global Gateway objectives, EIB invested €1.2 billion in the Western Balkans in 2023, aiming to mobilise over €6 billion of new investments in the region.

This will accelerate connectivity, energy transition and growth of small and medium businesses, in line with EU priorities.

Country overview

Find an overview of our impact by country.

Serbia
Kosovo*

*This designation is without prejudice to the positions expressed by the EU Member States on Kosovo’s status and is in line with United Nations Security Council Resolution No. 1244/1999 and the International Court of Justice Opinion of 22 July 2010 on Kosovo’s declaration of independence.

Our stories in the region

We support projects that improve lives all over the world. Watch our videos and read our stories on how our work improves the quality of life in the region.

26 February 2024 Gordana Kovacevic

Digital education in Serbia

Rollout of the Connected Schools project in Serbia is providing equal digital opportunities for children throughout the country

Western Balkans Serbia Enlargement Countries Digital and telecoms
31 January 2024 Gordana Kovacevic

Rail renaissance in North Macedonia

A rail link to the Bulgaria border boosts North Macedonia’s economy and keeps it on track for EU accession

Infrastructure Railways Western Balkans Bulgaria North Macedonia Enlargement Countries European Union Transport Development Climate action and environment
12 January 2024 Kyriacos Kakouris

Free advice times three

Infrastructure development across the Western Balkans gets a boost from a tripling of EU advisory work

Infrastructure Montenegro Albania Türkiye Serbia Enlargement Countries Development Climate action and environment
9 January 2024 Gordana Kovacevic

Food waste nourishes rural jobs

EU green programmes help Serbian women start their own businesses

Western Balkans Serbia Enlargement Countries Research, innovation and technology Development SMEs
14 December 2023

Bosnian farmers: Miko's story

Miko is a resilient farmer living in Brodac, Bosnia and Herzegovina, whose family legacy in farming spans generations. In 2014, Miko faced devastation when heavy rainfalls flooded his farm. Apart from Miko, these floods directly affected more than 100 000 people in the region. Thanks to flood protection infrastructure implemented in 2019, including early warning systems, Miko and the local residents can now rest assured that the challenges of the past will not repeat. The European Union and the European Investment Bank have played a crucial role in funding these vital flood protection projects in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Explore Miko's inspiring story in our video!

Read the blog story

Discover how the EIB improves lives around the world.

Flood protection Environment Flood risk management Flood prevention Bosnia and Herzegovina Enlargement Countries Development Climate action and environment Water, wastewater management
11 December 2023 Gordana Kovacevic

Cleaner water for Skopje

New wastewater treatment plant to cut pollution in the Vardar River, North Macedonia

North Macedonia Enlargement Countries Development Climate action and environment Water, wastewater management
4 September 2023 Gordana Kovacevic

Green innovation in Serbia

An EU programme finds green innovations in Serbia, like the Sokobanja spa, and helps them grow

Environment Serbia Enlargement Countries Education and training Research, innovation and technology Climate action and environment
17 August 2023 Gordana Kovacevic

A road to peace and EU integration

Peace Highway in Western Balkans to enable faster trade, economic growth and regional integration, backed by EU finance

Infrastructure Environment Railways Climate Climate action Western Balkans Serbia Kosovo* Enlargement Countries Transport Climate action and environment
8 August 2023 Gordana Kovacevic

‘Gone in a moment’

Improved flood protection infrastructure brings peace of mind to farmers and other residents of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Infrastructure Bosnia and Herzegovina Enlargement Countries Climate action and environment Water, wastewater management
21 June 2023 Gordana Kovacevic

Safer roads in Serbia

How Serbia’s roads are getting a safety boost with the backing of multilateral development banks, as they improve links around the Western Balkans

Mobility Serbia Enlargement Countries Transport

What we offer

We offer a broad range of financial products and advisory services for public and private project to enhance growth and development in the region.

Initiatives Trust funds Equity funds Advisory services

We work on several investment initiatives to maximise our local impact:

Urban Projects Finance Initiative

UPFI supports project promoters to prepare and finance urban development projects.

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European Fund for Sustainable Development (EFSD) Guarantee

EFSD Guarantee is tailored to crowd in private investors, where viable business proposals meet social needs, and where limited public funds can attract private money.

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Economic Resilience Initiative (ERI)

ERI creates jobs and economic growth in the region by investing in key infrastructure and in private sector development. It also may help migration flows.

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We work with donors to create trust funds and thus provide more in-depth support for local projects through technical assistance, grants and loan guarantees.

City Climate Finance Gap Fund

This fund offers technical and advisory services for climate action projects and supports cities in developing and emerging economies.

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Economic Resilience Initiative Fund

This fund supports resilient and inclusive growth in the region.

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Financial Inclusion Fund

It aims to improve access to finance for small businesses and entrepreneurs in developing countries.

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Green Hydrogen Fund

This trust fund provides strategic advice and capacity building to developing countries to help them prepare for decarbonising the industry sector through green hydrogen.

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Eastern Partnership Technical Assistance Trust Fund

The trust fund finances technical assistance and capacity-building programmes in the Eastern Partnership countries.

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Water Sector Fund

This fund aims to support the development of water projects in low- and lower-middle income countries.

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Luxembourg-EIB Climate Finance Platform

The platform supports investment in international climate finance, focusing on climate change mitigation and adaptation.

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We provide equity financing, primarily investing or co-investing along with funds focused on infrastructure, the environment, small and medium-sized enterprises and mid-size corporations.

Find out more about the investment funds we work with

Our experts provide advisory services and technical assistance to improve access to finance and facilitate investment for:

public authorities
financial intermediaries
microfinance institutions
final beneficiaries

We also offer expertise and technical assistance to support the design and structuring of low-carbon infrastructure projects in cities.

Find out more about our advisory services

Our partnerships

We work closely with the European Union and development partners to mobilise more development and climate finance, and to enhance our impact.

Working with the EU Working with development partners

We are the European Union’s international development bank. We promote the EU's principles, values and objectives and contribute to stable growth in countries beyond Europe’s borders.

Global Gateway

As part of Team Europe we are supporting Global Gateway, a new European strategy to invest in sustainable, high-quality projects around the world that are good for people and the planet.

Under Global Gateway, EIB Global is tackling some of today’s most pressing challenges, from fighting climate change to accelerating the digital transition. EIB Global is well on track to facilitate at least a third of the €300 billion of investment that Global Gateway aims to mobilise by 2027.

This will help support projects that are focused on digitalisation, tackling climate change, clean energy, healthcare, education, as well as transport.

Team Europe

As part of Team Europe, the EIB has increased its development finance, especially in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Team Europe is a global recovery package that combines resources from the European Union, Member States, and the EIB, and supports the most vulnerable countries and people most at risk around the world.

In line with Team Europe initiatives, our projects in the region are aimed at achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

To tackle challenges in the region, we work with various United Nations agencies and international financial institutions, such as the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the French Agency for Development (AFD), the German Development Bank (KfW) and the World Bank.

Our initiatives with these partners in the region include, among others, the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF), and the Mutual Reliance Initiative (MRI).