Brussels opens the purse strings for Albania! As EU integration moves closer, more than €200 million more is on the way

After €49 million in May, Albania will receive another €213.6 million in December under the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans.

In response to a request for information, the European Commission tells A2 CNN that if Albania continues on the “good path of reforms”, in June and December 2027 it will receive more than €251 million more. (In total the country is expected to receive €922.1 million.)

“The total amount disbursed reaches €212.8 million, the highest in the Western Balkans. Of the second disbursement of €49 million, €22.8 million goes directly to the state budget and €26.2 million through the Western Balkans Investment Fund for investments”, the European Commission says.

Albania leaves behind Serbia, with €167.5 million disbursed, and North Macedonia with €142.1 million. Montenegro has managed to receive €91.2 million, while Bosnia and Herzegovina has not yet disbursed a single instalment. But Albania and the other countries of the region must continue with reforms.

“We call on our partners to intensify their efforts, so that reforms are implemented in time before the coming reporting periods. If the June 2026 deadline is not respected, all the partners, with the exception of Bosnia and Herzegovina, risk losing together more than €333 million. For Bosnia and Herzegovina, the postponed deadline ends in December”, the European Commission’s position continues.

Before it knocks on the doors of the European Union, Albania must be ready. For a “yes” instead of a “no”, Albania and the Albanians must first integrate economically. In this respect, it is the Western Balkans Growth Plan that is expected to lend the country “a hand”. Most of the money goes to the “rule of law”, followed by business support, human capital, digitalization and energy.