Serbia to upgrade medical centres and wastewater infrastructure with EIB Global financing of over €192 million

This article is published in association with European Investment Bank.

• EIB’s development arm commits €192.5 million for improvements to clinical centres and wastewater in Serbia. 
• EIB Global loan of €157 million for the rehabilitation and extension of medical centres in four cities and WBIF grant of €35.5 million for sewerage network in Belgrade area.  
• EIB Vice-President Robert de Groot signs financing agreements during country visit.

The European Investment Bank (EIB Global) is committing €192.5 million for Serbia to upgrade medical centers and sanitation infrastructure. The EIB Global support package includes a €157 million loan and a €35.5 million EU grant to the Serbian government.

The loan will fund the reconstruction and extension of clinal centres in the cities of Belgrade, Novi Sad, Kragujevac and Niš. The project will help strengthen Serbia’s healthcare system, enhancing access to high-quality medical services to meet the evolving needs.

The grant provided by the EU under the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF) will support the construction of a sewerage network in the Belgrade municipality of Palilula. The project will improve sanitation for around 86,000 residents.

“These investments will improve access to care and enhance the wellbeing of Serbian citizens,” said EIB Vice-President Robert de Groot, who signed the financing agreements today in Belgrade. “The result will be more efficient healthcare services and cleaner environment”.

The EU grant provided under the Western Balkans Investment Framework is for the construction of a sewerage network in the central Belgrade municipality of Palilula. The project will improve sanitation for around 86,000 residents and protect public health.

EIB Global has committed almost €8 billion in financing to date in Serbia, covering projects across a broad range of sectors including transport, energy, research, education and the country’s private sector.  

“The strengthening, modernization, equipping, and reconstruction of healthcare institutions are of strategic importance for the Government of Serbia, and with the help of partners such as the European Investment Bank, we are continuing the investment wave in healthcare,” said Serbian Minister of Finance Siniša Mali, adding: “Today we signed an agreement that enables us to continue investing in clinical centers in Belgrade, Kragujevac, Niš, and Novi Sad, marking the beginning of the second phase of major investments in these healthcare institutions. Serbia is being built, and I am proud of all the results we have achieved in the past decade.”

The European Union has been a dedicated partner to Serbia as the country pursues EU membership, supporting the development of key infrastructure. The loan for the clinical centers is backed by an EU guarantee under the European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus (EFSD+), while the wastewater project is supported through EU grant.

“Clean water, healthy communities, and a greener future – this project brings much-needed infrastructure to a community that currently lacks a sewer network and wastewater treatment. It’s a win for Belgrade and for the Sava and Danube , two of Europe’s most important waterways that flow through Europe’s heart.”, said Plamena Halacheva, Deputy Head of EU Delegation to Serbia

Minister for European Integration Nemanja Starović stated that the agreement is significant contribution to the joint efforts of the Government of the Republic of Serbia and the EU in achieving European standards.

“Our strategic goal is accession to the European Union, and the reforms we are implementing along that path lead us not only to faster achievement of that goal, but also to the accelerated development of the country and the improvement of living conditions for all citizens,” emphasized Minister Starović, adding that the waste water investment signed today accounts to €85.4 million, of which over €35.5 million consists of a EU grant combined under IPA 3 with a €35 million EIB loan, while around €14.9 million represents an investment by the City of Belgrade.

The National IPA Coordinator and State Secretary at the Ministry of European Integration, Mira Radenović Bojić, said that with the implementation of this project, residents of the left bank of the Danube in Belgrade’s Palilula municipality will gain access to modern sewage infrastructure.

“Treated wastewater will be discharged into the Danube, significantly improving environmental conditions and public health for all residents of that part of Belgrade. During the construction of the facility and once it becomes operational, more than 200 jobs will be created,” said Radenović Bojić.

Background information

About the European Investment Bank and EIB Global

The EIB is the long-term lending institution of the European Union owned by its Member States. It makes long-term finance available for sound investment in order to foster EU policy goals. EIB Global is the EIB Group’s specialised arm devoted to increasing the impact of international partnerships and development finance. EIB Global is designed to foster strong, focused partnerships within Team Europe, alongside fellow development finance institutions and civil society. EIB Global brings the EIB Group closer to local people, companies and institutions through our offices around the world.

About EIB Global in Serbia

The EIB has been active in Serbia since 1977, providing finance to support key infrastructure projects as well as small and medium enterprises (SMEs), industry, services and local authorities. Since it began operating in the country, it has enabled over €8 billion of investment in SMEs and in upgrading transport, education, healthcare and utility infrastructure. For more information regarding the EIB’s projects in Serbia, please visit https://www.eib.org/en/projects/regions/enlargement/the-western-balkans/serbia/index.htm.

For detailed information on the EIB’s activities in the Western Balkans, please visit www.eib.org/en/publications/the-eib-in-the-western-balkans.