EPP Group supports Western Balkans during COVID-19 outbreak

The EPP Group is closely following the developments related to the COVID-19 outbreak in the Western Balkans and would like to express solidarity with the region as it tackles this extraordinary crisis. We stand along our partners in the Western Balkans during these unprecedented times and remind our partners in the region, of the EPP Group’s unwavering support for enlargement. A stable Western Balkans benefits not only these countries, but also the European Union as well.

We acknowledge and support the statements made by Commissioner Várhelyi about mobilising support to the Western Balkans via Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) funding, flexibility of state aid rules, integration the Western Balkans into the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and working together with financial institutions to find means and ways for financing various actions. We call on the European Commission to deploy all the means necessary in order to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 not only on people but also on businesses.

The EPP Group in the European Parliament is ready to take our responsibility and expect the speedy adoption of the measures proposed so far by the European Commission during the upcoming, extraordinary plenary session. We also expect the speedy results of our help in the region in these crucial times, as the countries of the European Union and the Western Balkans are historically intertwined. We have a joint future, therefore we are committed to doing everything to help our partners in these delicate times.