BELGRADE — Serbia risks losing substantial EU infrastructure funding unless it identifies and prepares more projects and accelerates implementation, the European Commission warned in its Serbia 2026 Report, dated 4 November 2026. The warning covers the country’s two IPA III operational programmes, where continued delays could lead to decommitment.
Serbia’s constraint is a shortage of prepared projects, not available financing. The country has access to IPA, the Reform and Growth Facility and the Western Balkans Investment Framework, but grants and loans require feasibility studies, permits, designs, procurement packages and cost estimates before they can be deployed.
Projects also need implementing institutions capable of managing construction. Low staffing levels among bodies responsible for EU funds increase the risk of delays and errors, adding to implementation pressures.
A permanent investment pipeline, rather than project-by-project mobilisation, is the proposed policy response. Stronger front-end engineering and programme management could help Serbia turn more of its access to EU funding into physical infrastructure, while faster project identification and execution are needed to limit the risk of losing funds.
