Twelve municipalities in Kosovo that have shown high performance in the energy sector will receive 7.7 million euros this year, said the European Union Ambassador to Kosovo, Aivo Orav, on Wednesday, during the Municipal Performance Grant conference.

Orav stated that the municipal performance grants aim to improve governance at the local level.

“I think this is an opportunity to highlight why the EU has invested in this initiative: because the municipal performance grants show that they improve governance at the local level. They go beyond capital investments at the municipal level. The EU – along with Switzerland and Sweden – emphasizes the importance of equitable treatment for all municipalities. All funds, whether provided by donors or through reallocations of the national budget, should be transferred directly to municipalities. In this way, municipalities can manage resources according to their local priorities and internal Performance Grant: 7.7 million Euros will be distributed to 12 municipalitiesprocedures,” he said.

Meanwhile, Matthias Herr, Director for Eastern Europe at Helvetas, said that strengthening local governance is essential for Kosovo’s European future.

“It is very important that strengthening local governance is not only an internal priority but also essential for Kosovo’s European future. Strong, transparent, and accountable municipalities are key to meeting many of the requirements of the EU membership process. Progress at the local level is progress for Kosovo as a whole on its path toward EU membership. Today, we also respectfully call on the Government of Kosovo to remain committed to empowering municipalities and continue building on a proven partnership. We ask local governments to ensure that investments reach all areas and that no community, regardless of how small or marginalized, is left behind,” he added. The municipalities benefiting from this grant are: Dragash, Drenas, Istog, Junik, Kaçanik, Klina, Lipjan, Mamua, South Mitrovica, Partesh, Prizren, and Suhareka.