Skopje: The Western Balkans Growth Plan is releasing money, but the latest payments show how far the reform work still has to go. On 20 May 2026 the European Commission made €158.9 million available to Albania, Montenegro and North Macedonia after their third payment requests, drawing on the Reform and Growth Facility. Albania receives €49 million, Montenegro €44.2 million and North Macedonia €65.7 million.

The Commission describes the funding behind the Western Balkans Growth Plan as a €6 billion envelope for 2024 to 2027, made up of €2 billion in grants and €4 billion in concessional loans, with payments conditioned on socio-economic and fundamental reforms. One news report cited a different loan figure of €3.5 billion, so readers should rely on the Commission’s own page. Each beneficiary prepares a Reform Agenda, which the Commission approves after a positive Council assessment, and funds follow only when agreed steps are met.

The May decision under the Western Balkans Growth Plan rewarded specific reforms. Albania was assessed on business environment, investment, innovation and access to finance. Montenegro was assessed on research and innovation. North Macedonia was assessed on funding for primary and secondary education and on digital infrastructure and IT equipment in schools. Part of the money is earmarked for the Western Balkans Investment Framework, once its board approves.

The cumulative figures put the Western Balkans Growth Plan in perspective. Albania has received €212.8 million of a €922.1 million allocation and has implemented 33 of 143 reforms. Montenegro has received €89.3 million of €383.5 million, with 32 of 130 reforms done, and North Macedonia €142.1 million of €750.4 million, with 22 of 136. Across all six partners, €673.6 million has been paid out of €5.5 billion allocated up to 2027, about 12 percent, and only 90 of 731 required reform steps are complete.

The timeline of the Western Balkans Growth Plan explains the pace. The Commission adopted the plan on 8 November 2023, and the facility regulation entered into force on 25 May 2024. Reform Agendas for Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia were approved on 23 October 2024. First releases for Montenegro and North Macedonia followed on 30 July 2025, a second release for the three countries on 8 October 2025, and a first release for Serbia on 12 January 2026. Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Reform Agenda was approved in late 2025, but the Commission page lists no payment yet, and Kosovo has an approved agenda with no listed release.

Time is the constraint for the Western Balkans Growth Plan. With the envelope running to 2027, nearly 88 percent of the allocation is still to be paid, and 641 reform steps remain outstanding. Governments will need to speed up legislation and administrative change, while Brussels has to keep its assessments credible. The Commission page also lists the signing of loan and facility agreements with each beneficiary as a next step, and the sources reviewed do not confirm whether that has been completed.

The next payment rounds will show whether the Western Balkans Growth Plan can move from announced reforms to visible results. If Albania, Montenegro and North Macedonia keep pace and Serbia, Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina follow, the facility could reach a larger share of its allocation before 2027. If not, the gap between the money on offer and the reforms delivered will become the main argument in the next enlargement debate.