What does the “Declaration of Tirana” predict? From the 1 billion euro investment program to the EU “Repower” plan

The Tirana Summit was not held just to deliver a political message but it was also a summit with a concrete package of projects. At the end of the summit, the leaders of the EU and the countries of the Western Balkans signed what was named the “Declaration of a 33-point, two-pronged statement: political and economic.”

As for the political commitment, the declaration envisages the commitment of the Balkans to clearly support the policies of the EU towards Russia and including the application of restrictive sanctions, just like the EU. The European Union promotes the implementation of necessary political reforms such as the fight against crime and corruption, the Pristina-Belgrade dialogue, etc.

But the economic commitments between the parties seem more concrete.

In addition to the agreement to start removing the roaming service for the Balkan countries from the European Union, the declaration also foresees the EU’s commitment to support the Balkan countries to overcome the economic difficulties created by the Russia-Ukraine military conflict.

In this context, the EU’s commitment to a financial package of 1 billion euros in grants, which can bring in 2.5 billion euros in investments, will help the Western Balkans mitigate the impact of the energy crisis, SCAN TV reports.

Another bilateral commitment is the “Repower Plan” of the EU, which aims to help reduce the dependence of the EU and the Western Balkans on Russian gas. Through the Energy Community, the EU is opening its electricity market to the Western Balkans, including in the renewable energy sector, subject to regulatory reforms.

The Economic and Investment Plan (EIP) envisages an ambitious investment package, mobilizing approximately EUR 30 billion for the region, consisting of EUR 9 billion in grant funding from IPA III and up to EUR 20 billion in investments mobilized by the new Western Balkans Guarantee.

The countries are committed to cooperating in joint plans to curb mass immigration from the Balkan countries, and in this framework, a special program for youth is foreseen. Likewise, the young people of the Balkans will have the opportunity to study in European universities without having to travel there.

The 33-point agreement of Tirana also contains a series of clear messages that basically have the same conclusion: the Western Balkans should be oriented only towards the European Union in a process that will ultimately bring about their full integration.

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