The European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Union will support three new projects in Bosnia and Herzegovina by providing EUR 68m to improve the water supply, wastewater and storm-water management infrastructure, enhance flood protection in the Sava river basin, and support construction of a twin-tunnel on the Zenica North section of the Pan-European Corridor Vc.
With a EUR 30m loan for construction and improvements to the water supply, wastewater and storm-water networks, the EIB will open up access to drinking water for up to 147 000 citizens in Bosnia and Herzegovina and improve sanitation services to some 70 000 people.
To complement the loan, the EU bank will also provide EUR 1.2m worth of technical assistance to design projects, prepare tender documentation and manage procurement processes.
Funding for technical assistance comes from the Economic Resilience Initiative (ERI), an EIB initiative to support resilient and inclusive growth in the EU's Southern Neighbourhood and the Western Balkans.
The European Investment Bank will also invest EUR 19m to increase flood protection along the Sava River and its basin in Republika Srpska by constructing dykes and channels and rehabilitating riverbeds.
The EIB-funded flood protection improvements will help avoid future loss of life and damage to property from recurring floods, and create a safer environment in this part of the country.
This investment is also funded from the EIB’s Economic Resilience Initiative.
The European Union will complement a €50 million from the European Investment Bank, signed in 2018, with a grant of up to €19 million for development of the Zenica North section of the pan-European Corridor Vc.
The section contains a twin-tunnel, due to be completed by the end of 2022.
The project will increase road safety and contribute towards faster economic and social development in Bosnia and Herzegovina. ■
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