EU helps tackle air pollution in Kosovo with €76.4 million

As part of his first visit to Kosovo, High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell will launch today a major EU-financed project to improve the environmental performance of the ‘Kosovo B’ thermal power plant, Kosovo’s largest electricity generator. The project will significantly lower emissions, contribute to reliable and clean energy supply, and improve the health and well-being of the population. More specifically, this project will reduce air pollution in Kosovo, lowering the emission of harmful dust by 35 times and nitrogen oxides by 4 times, bringing it in line with EU standards. High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell commented: “Air pollution is one of the most acute environmental problems affecting the Western Balkans, including Kosovo. With this investment, the EU is providing a concrete contribution to improve the environment in Kosovo and the region, as well as to improve the health and well-being of people. Kosovo is Europe and needs to be a part of the European Green Deal. With this project, we want to take a first step in this direction. We hope and expect that our determination will be matched by that of Kosovo’s policy makers.” €76.4 million in EU funding will be provided for filters on the Kosovo B power plant, through the Commission’s Instrument for Pre-Accession (IPA). The EU has been supporting and will continue, as part of the Green Deal ambition, to support a number of actions to improve the environment, to increase energy efficiency measures and to make greater use of clean energy and renewables. The full press release is available online. Photos and videos of the visit of the High Representative/Vice-President including at the launch of the ‘Kosovo B’ thermal power plant will be available on EbS.