Albania has made significant progress in implementing its Reform and Growth Agenda under the EU Growth Plan, having fulfilled 21 out of 41 planned reform measures (51%) from December 2024 to June 2025. This has led the European Commission to disburse €99.3 million under the Reform and Growth Instrument, making Albania the best-performing implementer in the region for this reporting period.
The payment, which was announced by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during her visit to Tirana last week, confirms that Albania has implemented sustainable structural reforms in key areas such as energy, digitization, competitiveness, sustainable development, and economic integration.
The funds will support Albania’s efforts to further stimulate economic growth and strengthen public institutions. Specifically:
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€2 million have been provided as a loan credited directly to the State Treasury for the implementation of reforms;
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€1 million (composed of €28.5 million in grants and €24.6 million in loans) is channeled through the EU’s Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF) to support infrastructure development projects.
“The EU Growth Plan for the Western Balkans is delivering results in Albania. The country is making steady progress through the Reform and Growth Agenda, and the EU is responding in kind. This new disbursement of €100 million matches the steps Albania has taken to advance reforms that bring tangible benefits to its citizens. Other initiatives under the Growth Plan are also yielding results: Albania’s banking system has adopted SEPA standards, reducing transaction costs for citizens, while next year we will complete free Wi-Fi installations in all municipalities and abolish roaming charges between the EU and Albania,” said EU Ambassador to Albania Silvio Gonzato.
“The first results of the Reform and Growth Instrument represent an important indicator of how the EU’s new mechanism is being implemented in practice in Albania. They demonstrate strengthened capacities for planning, reporting and implementation, increased institutional transparency, and more effective cooperation between Albanian institutions and the European Commission – all of which are essential elements of Albania’s path towards EU membership,” said Eridana Cano, National Coordinator for the Reform and Growth Instrument in Albania.
The Reform and Growth Instrument operates on a six-month reporting cycle. Albania will submit its next report at the beginning of 2026, providing evidence of reforms implemented between June and December 2025. The European Commission will then assess the progress made, and fully completed measures will be taken into account for the next disbursement under the Instrument, planned for the spring of that year.
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About the EU Growth Plan for the Western Balkans
The EU Growth Plan for the Western Balkans is an initiative launched by the European Commission in 2023 to accelerate the region’s economic convergence with the European Union and to bring citizens the benefits of European integration even before accession.
It combines reform incentives with financial support of up to €6 billion for the region, including up to €1 billion for Albania for the period 2024–2027. The Plan supports the gradual integration of Western Balkan economies into the EU Single Market and provides funding through the Reform and Growth Instrument, based on partners’ progress in implementing agreed reforms in areas such as energy transition, digitalisation, rule of law, competitiveness, and human capital development.