The ambitions of the leaders of the Western Balkan countries, but also of the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, that the first payments from the EU Growth and Reform Package would be made by the end of 2024, were not realized.

Moreover, they were not even done at the beginning of 2025 and it is not clear when they will be done.

The delays in payments, according to some diplomatic sources in the EU, have more to do with the delays of the beneficiary countries - namely those of the Western Balkans - in completing internal procedures.

On February 29, the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans was discussed in Tirana.

"It seems that this time the EU is more willing to make payments from this package than the countries in the region are willing to receive them," an EU source told Radio Free Europe.

The European Commission did not respond exactly to what stage the countries in the region are in regarding the payments they expect to receive, writes Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

The officials only recalled that all countries in the region, with the exception of Bosnia and Herzegovina, have reform agendas approved by the EU and that they have thus met the criteria for advance payments worth 7% of the total from the EU.

"The Commission is currently finalizing the steps in the procedure that will enable the payment of the pre-financing as early as possible in 2025. The first regular payments are expected to be made in the second and third quarters of this year, once the relevant criteria are met," the European Commission said.

It seems that the problem with some countries in the region, including Kosovo, is that they have to reach loan agreements with the EU, as some of the financial resources are in the form of loans and some are non-repayable grants.

Such agreements have the character of international agreements, therefore they must be ratified in parliament with a two-thirds majority.

Due to the elections in Kosovo, which took place on February 9, the procedure for constituting the assembly and forming the new government is expected to take time, so it is unlikely that it will receive any payments from the EU before the summer.

The overall package for the six Western Balkan countries - Kosovo, Albania, North Macedonia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro - amounts to 6 billion euros and covers the period from 2024 to 2027.

Of this amount, 2 billion euros are non-repayable EU grants, while the rest is in the form of favorable loans.

The goal of this ambitious EU financial package is to help economic growth in this region and, in this way, accelerate its European integration process.

According to an unofficial estimate, Kosovo could benefit from over 880 million euros from this package. Over 250 million would be allocated as non-refundable money, while the rest would be in the form of soft loans. The 7% that would be paid as pre-financing would amount to around 61 million euros.

Albania will benefit from a total of 922 million euros, including 64.5 million as pre-financing.

North Macedonia will have 750 million euros available, while the first payment to it will be 52.5 million euros.

Serbia would be allocated a total of 1.58 billion euros, while the first payment would be 111 million euros.

Montenegro would have a total of 383 million euros available, including 26.8 million euros as pre-financing.

Bosnia and Herzegovina will have 1 billion and 85 million euros available from the total plan, while 76 million euros will be pre-financing.

The calculation of which country will have available how much financial resources is made based on Gross Domestic Product (GDP), number of inhabitants and several other criteria.

But, in the first presentation of this plan, the countries of the region were clearly told that if they did not carry out the reforms after 1-2 years, then the amount would be distributed to other countries.

The plan also aims to promote regional cooperation, as well as the development of a common market in the region, which would gradually integrate into the European Union's common market.

The European Union wants the first payments from this plan to be made as soon as possible and the implementation of the projects that would be financed through it to begin.

But, at the same time, he also recalls the conditions that must be met throughout the entire project implementation process.

They relate to the rule of law, financial control and proper auditing according to European standards.

In the case of Kosovo and Serbia, a specific condition is also constructive engagement in the normalization of relations between them, including the implementation of obligations from the dialogue facilitated by the EU.

Among the EU's requirements for the countries of the region is their adaptation to the EU visa regime.