The European Commission indicates when Kosovo could benefit from the first millions from the Growth Plan

If Kosovo manages to ratify the agreement in the Kosovo Assembly to benefit from millions from the European Union's Western Balkans Growth Plan, the first regular payments are expected to be executed between the second and third quarters of 2025.

This is what the European Commission has warned about when the country is expected to receive the first grant of 882 million euros that have been earmarked for Kosovo until 2027.

"The Commission and Kosovo are now finalizing the procedural steps that should allow the release of the pre-financing to take place as soon as possible in 2025, pending the ratification process by Kosovo," the European Commission said.

This EU institution confirms that Kosovo has requested the release of pre-financing of up to 7% of the total amount foreseen in this Package [from the initial indicative amount of financing available to each beneficiary].

According to the Commission, the €6 billion Growth Plan for the Western Balkans provides a roadmap to bring the economies of these countries closer to the European Union through reforms and investment.

"As for Kosovo, it submitted to the Commission in July its reform agenda, covering both fundamental reforms and socio-economic reforms," ​​the Commission said, adding that as for the process - so far they have five ambitious reform agendas in place - including Kosovo, and in return, these reforms are supported by investments.

The Minister of Finance, Hekuran Murati, also said that 7% of the value of these funds, which are dedicated to Kosovo, is expected to be paid when the Agreement is signed and ratified by the Kosovo Assembly.

"So, as an Agreement, this needs to be ratified in the Assembly. Therefore, I believe that once we have the new Assembly constituted and the ratification of this Agreement, we will be able to benefit from the availability of these funds," Murati told KALLXO.com, when asked if the first 60 million have been allocated.

Murati said that Kosovo was among the first countries to negotiate and submit the Reform Plan and those that are expected to be implemented, and it is expected that every reform executed or fulfilled will free up funds that are made available to Kosovo.

"Two-thirds of this package is credit financing that must be returned, while ⅓ of the component is financing that comes as a grant in non-refundable form." - he said, on 24.03.2024.

The Kurti government has legally ended its mandate on 23.03.2025, exactly four years from the day the legislature was constituted following the elections of 14.02.2021. It cannot now make such decisions – without the formation of new institutions. The elections held on 09.03.2025 have not yet been certified and so far there are no official talks about post-election coalitions.

In the Assembly of Kosovo, the procedure for ratifying international agreements is defined in the Constitution and specific laws.

The Constitution of the Republic of Kosovo, in Article 18, specifies that the Assembly ratifies international agreements on certain issues by a qualified majority (two-thirds of all deputies).

Also, Law No. 04/L-052 on International Agreements details the ratification procedures – including the submission of Agreements to the Assembly on its own initiative, or upon proposal by the Government.

However, in practice, the Assembly has encountered difficulties in reaching the necessary quorums for the ratification of some international agreements – resulting in their failure to be approved in some cases.

The European Union had approved a 6 billion euro economic growth plan for the Western Balkan countries in an effort to help accelerate the integration process.

That Kosovo would benefit from the first 60 million of this Package by the end of 2024 - said the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, when she was in Kosovo in October 2024.

"We can now start with the pre-financing of more than 60 million euros that can be given to Kosovo before the end of this year. The realizable value that will be available to Kosovo from the Growth Plan is more than 882 million euros. It is in our hands to take this plan forward and the first steps are already very promising," she told the media on 26.10.2024.

The European Commission has also approved agendas for the Western Balkan countries from the Growth and Reform Plan.

Unlike the other four countries in the region, Kosovo and Serbia had additional preconditions imposed on them in order to benefit from the European Union's 6 billion euros for the Western Balkans, as part of the Growth Package for which the European Council gave the green light on 07.05. 2024.

The condition for both states has been clear, that official Pristina and official Belgrade must engage constructively with measurable progress and tangible results in the normalization of relations between them.

Since 28.06.2023, the European Union has imposed sanctions on Kosovo in relation to "the situation created in the north and the decision of the authorities not to coordinate with European partners to reduce tensions."

Although votes were held for or against the removal of Albanian mayors from northern municipalities inhabited by a Serb majority on 21.05.2024, but without results, the European Union did not remove the punitive measures against Kosovo.

The European Union states do not yet have a unified position on lifting the measures. The punitive measures were applied in June 2023, and hopes that they would be lifted in 2024 were high in Kosovo.

The rapporteur for Kosovo in the European Parliament, Riho Terras, in an interview with KALLXO.com, blamed the European Council and member states for the delay in lifting the measures against Kosovo. Although he describes these measures as unfair, he cannot say when they might be lifted.

Among the EU measures is the temporary suspension of the work of the Stabilization and Association Agreement bodies. /Kallxo.com/