8-10 November 2017, Sarajevo: 90 participants from the European Commission, WBIF financing institutions, bilateral donors, and Western Balkans beneficiaries met to review WBIF progress over the past six months and consider future developments and operations.

After EU Ambassador Lars-Gunnar Wigemark’s opening address, plenary discussions focused on the applications received for technical assistance (TA) under Round 18. Thirteen grants have been selected to be proposed to the WBIF Steering Committee for approval on 13 December 2017. The total grant value is €23.1 million and, if approved, will be provided by IPA, through the Infrastructure Project Facility, and Bilateral Donors’ contributions to the WBIF Joint Fund. The grants are intended to contribute to the further planning and implementation of environment and transport projects throughout the region.

The proceedings of the PFG meeting also included: an update on the status of the WBIF Joint Fund, the latest WBIF Monitoring Report, the potential eligibility of digital infrastructure under the WBIF, and a brief overview of progress to date with a WBIF assignment focused on improving the beneficiaries’ capacities in structuring and contracting investments through PPPs. The plenary was complemented by a practical workshop on WBIF reporting and the preparation of grant applications, with a focus on the WBIF Management Information System and the WBIF website.

More details on the WBIF PFG meeting, including the agenda of the event, may be found in Library.