North Macedonia: Investment Grant to Build a Wastewater Treatment Plant

EIB Global, the arm of the European Investment Bank (EIB) for activities outside the European Union, has signed a 70 million Euro EU investment grant with the government of the Republic of North Macedonia to build a wastewater treatment plant in Skopje.

Signed on World Water Day in March, this is the largest EU investment grant allocated to the country under the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF), EIB informed. This environmental project would be part of the European Commission’s Economic and Investment Plan and the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans. It is being financed by EIB Global’s 68 million Euro worth loan, complemented with funds from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the government of North Macedonia, and EU grants channeled through the WBIF.

The EIB is one of the world’s biggest public lenders in the sector. On average, it finances three billion Euro in water infrastructure annualy, focusing on water security and climate change adaptation. “Around 30 percent of EIB water projects are carried out outside the European Union, including in some of the world’s poorest and most drought-stricken countries,” the bank gave account. “Projects financed alongside regional partners connect cities and villages to clean water and sanitation, enable flood-resistant infrastructure, and encourage communities to recycle their water.” In the Western Balkans, the EIB has provided “close to 750 million Euro for water and sewage infrastructure, improving inhabitants’ access to drinking water and sanitation services”. The European Investment Bank is looking for possibilities to expand its investments in this sector in line with the latest EU initiative “Global Gateway”, aiming to mobilize up to 300 billion Euro for sustainable infrastructure projects worldwide.

www.eib.org/en/infocentre/contact/offices/index.htm

(Published in GLOBAL RECYCLING Magazine 2/2023, Page 7)