From quantity to quality: how to improve the infrastructure project selection process under the Western Balkans Investment Framework

Report    |    29 August 2024

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The Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF) provides finance and technical assistance for investments, particularly in infrastructure, energy efficiency and private sector development. The WBIF’s Single Project Pipeline (SPP) is a list of priority projects that countries propose for financing by the WBIF selected via a specific selection process. This list is intended to ensure economic, efficient and effective prioritisation and implementation of those projects with highest importance for the Western Balkan countries.

The briefing provides a detailed analysis of the process of identifying, programming and prioritising projects in the SPP in North Macedonia as a basis for applying for investment projects under the WBIF’s calls. The current situation in North Macedonia shows series of inconsistencies in the process of programming a long list of projects in the SPP that are not the most relevant for the country’s sustainable development needs and are neither ‘mature’ nor of the highest priority.

Considering that the main objective is to speed up reforms in the Western Balkan countries, it is even more important that the WBIF selects projects in a way that is transparent, participatory and in line with EU acquis. Thus, it provides recommendations on the changes needed in order for the most relevant, feasible and strategically important projects to be selected in a transparent and accountable manner.

This publication is also available in Macedonian.