The European Commission has allocated around 200,000 euros of additional support to Montenegro, in order to contribute to the fight against Covid-19.
The donation is part of the package proposed by the European Commission of almost €530 million in additional support under the EU Solidarity Fund (EUSF) to safeguard public health in fighting the coronavirus.
The beneficiaries are 17 Member States and 3 accession countries, including Montenegro. The funding will support part of their public expenditure on medical and personal protective equipment, emergency support to the population, and measures of prevention, monitoring and control of the spread of the disease.
Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms, Elisa Ferreira said: “The EU Solidarity Fund is a concrete demonstration of European solidarity in action. Since its creation, it has delivered effective assistance and relief to millions of people during difficult times. Last year, we extended its scope to cover major health emergencies. Now we are proposing to mobilise much needed coronavirus-related financial assistance. The EUSF is once again accomplishing its core mission.”
Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the EU has mobilised a very substantial package of 53 million euros in grants and 60 million euros in macro-financial assistance for Montenegro. In addition to COVID assistance and other ongoing pre-accession assistance, the Economic and Investment Plan worth 9 billion euros in support and guarantees has been put in place, aiming to mobilise 20 billion euros to support the long-term recovery of the whole region.