Western Balkans to receive a €500 million energy support package

In late October, commission chief Ursula von der Leyen announced that the European Union has pledged €500 million to improve the energy sector in the Western Balkans. It starts with €80 million in immediate budget support for North Macedonia to help address the impact of the high energy prices.

“There are €500 million in grants for the whole region to invest in energy connections, energy efficiency and of course renewable energy,” von der Leyen presented, underlining the importance of removing dependency on Russian fossil fuels. North Macedonia’s Prime Minister, Dimitar Kovacevski stated that “Energy and economic crisis caused by the war in Ukraine have united Europe. Only united we can handle with the lack of energy and food,”

The announcement is of great importance, as the domestic electricity production of countries in the Western Balkans meets only two thirds of their annual needs.

From EURACTIV, EU announces €500 million energy support package for Western Balkans, 27 October 2022. https://www.euractiv.com/section/enlargement/news/eu-announces-e500-mill...

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Western Balkans to receive a €500 million energy support package

In this issue

Greater efforts to improve EU air quality needed

Editorial: Air pollution exposure will remain unacceptably high

Nitrogen ruling puts Dutch CCS project on hold

Ways through the rare earth element bottleneck

Climate change will worsen air quality

The remaining global carbon budget leaves little headroom for Europe

Richest 1% of the world responsible for 17% of emissions

Health effects of extreme high temperatures

Air pollution can damage children for life

Proposal to integrate maritime transport in the EU ETS

EU must phase-out coal and gas and promote plant-rich diets to deliver on methane

Whole of Europe must do more to align with the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C target

The higher the energy efficiency target, the greater the benefits

Regulating the most polluting livestock farms is justified

EU must reform the ETS to make it an effective instrument

European research infrastructures for climate change and air pollution policies

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