Giaufret: The Growth Plan for the Western Balkans Consists of Clear Preconditions, the EU Needs a Strong Serbia

The Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia, Emanuele Giaufret, stated that the growth plan for the Western Balkans consists of clear instructions, or preconditions, and that the Western Balkan countries will be invited to submit Reform Agendas to the Commission, outlining the socio-economic and fundamental reforms they plan to undertake in the next three years. Giaufret made this statement during the panel discussion “Growth Plan for the Western Balkans: What Are the Benefits for Small and Medium Enterprises,” held as part of the European Week of Opportunities.

As he stated, “EU member states will have the final say in approving financial funds.”

“This is financing amounting to six billion euros allocated by the European Commission for the Western Balkans, over one and a half billion euros of which are for Serbia. The point is to implement the necessary reforms, and if the country executes them well, the EC will provide the funds,” Giaufret emphasized.

He added that the Growth Plan, besides financial resources, offers numerous other opportunities, but the fundamental question remains how to integrate the Western Balkans into the EU’s single market even before the countries of the region become members.

“The new system allows us to introduce the Western Balkans into this market before accession. Specifically, a single payment system within the EU means, for instance, paying the same fees from Paris to Tallinn as you would from Paris to Marseille. This is what we offer Serbia – to soon be part of the EU’s single payment system. This will save half a billion annually. It’s more cost-effective for both companies and citizens. Practically, this means no fees will be charged when a company from Novi Sad pays a company in Portugal, for example,” Giaufret explained.

He added that the European Union “knows” it is Serbia’s largest partner, but border crossing delays remain a problem.

“These delays mean higher costs and longer times, but we can change that. We also see an opportunity for progress in the digital market. We want to see more of Serbia digitally represented, and as Serbia has already made significant progress and is advancing well in digitalization, we know it has excellent capacity for accessing the digital market,” he said.

Giaufret also mentioned the Digital Wallet – an easier method enabling the opening of bank accounts or university registration.

“We want to bring Serbia into the Wi-Fi zone, allowing local communities to connect their citizens to the internet. These are all specific steps we want to take with Serbia over the next three years. The European Union needs a strong Serbia,” said Giaufret.