The invested €822 million in the Western Balkans in 2025, backing projects that move the region closer to EU standards — and closer together. The financing is expected to mobilise nearly €1.5 billion in total investments, targeting transport, healthcare, renewable energy and support for small and medium-sized businesses.
More than half of the funding — 58% — went into sustainable transport, confirming infrastructure as the backbone of regional integration. Healthcare followed with 20%, while renewable energy accounted for 13%, strengthening energy security and climate resilience across the region.
The package combines €664 million in loans and guarantees, €6.5 million in investment grants under the Economic Resilience Initiative, and an additional €151.1 million in EU grants channelled through the Western Balkans Investment Framework. Altogether, 58% of the EIB Group’s support directly contributes to climate action, aligning with the Bank’s ambition to mobilise €1 trillion in green investments by 2030.
Key transport projects include major rail upgrades on EU core corridors: Albania’s Durrës–Rrogozhina line (€90.5m), Serbia’s Niš–Dimitrovgrad route (€134m) and Montenegro’s Bar–Golubovci section (€175m). These projects will also benefit from €207 million in EU grants. Serbia will additionally receive €150 million to modernise 540 km of regional roads, improving safety and climate resilience.
“In 2025, we saw tangible progress on EU accession and market integration,” said , noting that the EIB also opened a new representative office in Montenegro, signalling deeper long-term engagement. More cross-border projects, he added, are already in the pipeline.
Bottom line: fewer bottlenecks, cleaner energy, stronger healthcare — and a region being built for what comes next, not what worked yesterday.
