Pristina, 7 September - Today, a signing ceremony took place in Pristina between the European Commission, the KfW and the government of Kosovo for a loan agreement for a water supply project in Pristina. The European Commission is contributing with €11 million from its Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance programme.

The project is part of the Western Balkans Investment Framework, a joint initiative of the European Commission, the European Investment Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the Council of Europe Development Bank, to support investments for socio-economic development of the Western Balkans. The framework includes technical assistance funded through EC grants, as well as lending and grants to finance projects that are prepared under this technical assistance.
 
The European Commission with KfW and the Kosovo government identified important energy, water and waste projects and considerable funding is planned for these areas. The EU will give €16 million in two phases to improve water and sanitation services for the citizens of Pristina.

The first phase of €11 million includes improvement of the existing water and sanitation networks, while the second phase of €5 million, once approved, will support new production capacities for the Regional Water Company of Pristina.

Kjartan Björnsson, Chargé d\'affaires a.i. at the EC Liaison Office said: “These investments are critical to ensure an improved supply of good quality water and sanitation services for the citizens of Kosovo.”

The European Union has since 1999 supported the development of infrastructure in the key sectors in Kosovo, such as energy, transport, water and waste. €60 million have been invested in the water sector so far.

Additional €15 million are currently being implemented to refurbish the water supply systems in Pristina and Mitrovica regions and for the development of water supply schemes in rural areas across Kosovo. An important component of the programme is technical assistance provided for the institutions in charge of the water sector, namely the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning as well as the utilities and the regulatory office.