Serbia

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Serbia

Population: 6.6 million
GDP: €69.9 billion
GDP per capita: €10,586
Public debt: 52% of GDP
EU candidate: Candidate country since March 2012

'The Western Balkans Investment Framework projects in Serbia are transforming lives and supporting businesses as part of the country’s EU accession path, by building a robust infrastructure network aligned with EU standards. Our projects connect towns and villages with roads, railways, businesses, schools, and hospitals with electricity and digital cables, significantly improving the daily lives of citizens in the region. Investments in people and infrastructures boost the economy while promoting regional stability and long-term sustainability and deeper integration with the European Union.'

Ambassador Emanuele Giaufret

Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Serbia

The WBIF has supported estimated investments of €10.7 billion in the public sector in Serbia.

Serbia received €1.1 billion in grants in 2008-2024: €1,006.8 million in investment grants and €89.6 million in technical assistance. These grants support estimated investments of €10.7 billion in rail, road, water and urban transport, renewable energy and energy efficiency, power and gas interconnections, district heating, rural broadband, water supply and sanitation, waste management, flood protection, education, health and judicial facilities, and social housing.

From 2021 to 2024, the country benefitted from fifteen EIP flagship investments, channelling a substantial €2.9 billion towards sustainable transport, clean energy, sanitation, rural broadband, higher education, and health facilities. The WBIF contributed €852.2 million in EU IPA grants to these investments.

WBIF grants: €1,096.4m

Investment grants: €1,006.8m

Technical assistance: €89.6m

Estimated investments: €10.7bn

Loans signed: €4.2bn

Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans 2021 - 2027

Flagship investments in Serbia

Clean energy

Flagship 5

Transition from coal

Project of Energy Community Interest: Serbia (Nis) - Bulgaria Gas Interconnector

Clean energy

Flagship 5

Transition from coal

Trans-Balkan Electricity Corridor: Kragujevac – Kraljevo Grid Section

Environment & climate

Flagship 7

Waste and waste water management

Water supply, wastewater collection and sludge management in Subotica

Sustainable transport

Flagship 1

Connecting East to West

Corridor Xc: Serbia - Bulgaria Rail Interconnection, Nis - Dimitrovgrad - Border with Bulgaria Section

Human capital

Greening the Public Sector - Rehabilitation of the VMA Hospital

WBIF grants

Sustainable transport

€823m

Clean energy

€109.8m

Environment & climate

€54.1m

Human capital

€73.5m

Digital future

€35.9m

Private sector

See Priorities section

Total

€1,096.4m

Achieved results

2008–2023

98 km of motorway built
60 km of transmission lines upgraded to 400 kV
108 km of gas interconnection built
585,000 people with access to improved drinking water and sanitation

Expected results

2024–2030

341 km of railway line rehabilitated
27.2 km of highway built
5 km of waterway upgraded by removing 21 shipwrecks to eliminate a critical bottleneck on the Danube
307 MW renewable energy capacity installed
193 km of transmission lines upgraded to 400 kV
205,000 smart meters installed in the electricity distribution system in Kraljevo, Čačak and Niš
368,000 people with access to broadband internet in rural areas
81,250 people have access to improved sanitation
30,792 m3/day additional wastewater treatment capacity
Innovative learning environments for 15,000 higher education students annually
New hospital built and equipped