A report presented by the Joint World Bank/EC Office for South East Europe at the Stability Pact Working Table 2 meeting in Tirana last week shows that by the end of the "Quick Start" period (bidding for contracts started by April 1, 2001) set at the Regional Funding Conference last year, there had been solid progress in implementing regional infrastructure projects.

Bidding has started on projects covering 75% of the total cost, while work has started on 11 projects, representing 43% of the total cost. Delays in certain projects are the result of land acquisition problems, sectoral issues, and completion of technical studies. For studies, the European Commission has developed a strategic framework for transport and energy involving the countries of the region (See story of May 17, 2001).

See Report: Stability Pact Infrastructure Projects: Implementation Status as of end-March 2001 (45 pages, pdf, 185 KB)

See also: New EC Infrastructure Strategy Report to Provide Guidance for Investment in South Eastern Europe