European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Commissioner Johannes Hahn signed an agreement in the amount of 50 million euros with international financial institutions (EBRD, EIB and KfW) at the Western Balkan 6 energy ministerial in Skopje yesterday. The grant will assist Western Balkan 6 governments in preparing or upgrading their energy efficiency laws, support energy efficiency measures, help municipalities to attract private investment in the public sector and, finally, provide incentives to soften the investment burden on consumers.
The funds will be channeled through the Regional Energy Efficiency Programme (REEP) for the Western Balkans, which is run in cooperation with the Energy Community Secretariat. REEP support is customized to the countries’ needs in terms of technical support, investment incentives and a dedicated lending facility set up by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the “Green Economy Financing Facility”.
Janez Kopač, Director of the Energy Community Secretariat, said: “By combining its unique technical and legal expertise with its advocacy power, the Energy Community Secretariat is able to play a bridging role between the countries, the European Commission and the financial institutions. We are proud to be the trusted partner of both the countries and the EBRD in the REEP programme.”
Source: energy-community.org
