The EU-Western Balkans summit will take place in Sofia, Bulgaria, on 17 May 2018. The summit will be centered on the theme of connectivity with a view to improve the links with the Western Balkans and within the region.
This collection of case studies is an attempt to share the path of a candidate country to adopt to the acquis communautaire, the entire body of European law.
This paper presents the findings of a survey of bank lending practices to SMEs in Serbia conducted by the World Bank Centre for Financial Reporting Reform (CFRR)3 at the end of June 2016.
In 2017 WB EDIF published its first collection of stories from the Region. This booklet also gives a concise overview of the WB EDIF platform and main targets.
Renting or buying real estate is a process which impacts everyone at some point in their lives and yet, it is perhaps one of the least modernised services in today’s world. Find out how WB EDIF’s early stage innovation fund, ENIF supported this Serbian company.
Managed and advised by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and investing since 2016, the Enterprise Expansion Fund (ENEF) finances established SMEs with high growth potential to support the development and expansion of their businesses. In particular ENEF aims to identify local and regional champions – market leaders with good growth prospects – and provide them with the financing they need to take them to the next level.
The WB EDIF Guarantee Facility is managed by the EIF and provides guarantees and counter-guarantees to financial intermediaries in the Western Balkans, supporting SMEs with growth potential.
Active since 2016, the Enterprise Innovation Fund is a venture capital fund focusing on an investment portfolio consisting of innovative SMEs at various stages of business development, from the seed to expansion phase, in the Western Balkans. ENIF aims at reinforcing the financial structure of innovative SMEs resulting in a strong and bankable balance sheet.
This toolkit is aimed at releasing investment opportunities and unlocking commercial and funding potential in intangible and intellectual property (IP) assets in the Western Balkans. The toolkit provides a mixture of educational material, templates and resources that will enable SMEs to understand the importance of IP and implement suitable IP processes and strategies for their specific circumstances.
The European Investment Bank (EIB) Group has confirmed its role as one of the leading international financiers in the Western Balkans. It has signed EUR 6.4 billion of loans since 2006 and reimbursed around EUR 1.2 billion to projects in the region only in the last two years. An EIB Group delegation, led by EIB President Werner Hoyer and EIB Vice-President Dario Scannapieco has participated yesterday in the Western Balkans Summit in Trieste (Italy). In several meetings and the official dinner with heads of states and governments, the EIB representatives reaffirmed their commitment to further support the region on its path towards European integration.
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