Western Balkans

The European Investment Bank (EIB) and UniCredit Bank Serbia (UniCredit) have officially launched a €30 million credit line aimed at supporting the employment, professional training and long-term retention of people from vulnerable social groups. These funds will enable UniCredit  to on-lend to Serbian companies that are committed to improving the social impact of their businesses and creating long-term employment and entrepreneurship opportunities for women, young people and segments of the population that face higher entry barriers to the labour market. Representatives of the Government of the Republic of Serbia and the EU Delegation to Serbia attended the launch ceremony, expressing support for this kind of socially-oriented financial instruments.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its economic fallout come just as firms in the Western Balkans are recovering from the COVID-19 shock. Today’s presentation “Business resilience in the Western Balkans at times of repeated shocks”, presented by the EIB’s Chief Economist Debora Revoltella at the Western Balkans Investment Framework Strategic Board in Rome, examines how firms in the region weathered the sharp downturn caused by the pandemic and how prepared they are to face future challenges. The results are derived from the report entitled Business Resilience in the Pandemic and Beyond, recently launched and jointly published by the EIB, the EBRD and the IMF, which covers a broader region of Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

The European Investment Bank (EIB), through its new EIB Global branch, provides a €1.5 million technical assistance grant to finance the project preparation for the expansion of the district heating system in Pristina. The project will lead to a more energy efficient heating system for Pristina, helping to reduce air pollution and improved living conditions for some 210 000 people.