IDM Short Insights 48: Three key challenges in the Western Balkans — three EU-driven solutions!
Our 20th DRC Summer School may have wrapped up, but the conversation on EU enlargement is far from over. In the latest episode of IDM Short Insight, six participants — Gabriel, Giannis, Ioannis, Kateryna, Mishel, and Vittoria — share how EU cooperation supports the region’s green transition. Through real-life examples from Albania, North Macedonia, and Moldova, they explore how EU integration can drive meaningful environmental change.
Transcript:
Gabriel Fernandez Alonso: “Can the EU grow and go green at the same time? Across the Western Balkans and the Eastern neighbourhood, countries face urgent environmental and energy challenges. From air pollution to energy dependence, the green transition cannot wait for accession. But with EU support, enlargement can drive real transformation. Three problems, three solutions. This is what is at stake.”
First Problem: Water Pollution in Albania
Mishel Mita: “For years, the coastal city of Durrës in Albania was discharging its sewage water directly into the Adriatic Sea, polluting not only the marine life and the ecosystem, but also causing a major public health concern, especially during the high tourist season.
Ioannis Voskidis: “With support from the European Union and the German government through KfW (Credit Institute for Reconstruction), the new Durrës Wastewater Treatment Plant was inaugurated and today treats over 60,000 cubic meters of wastewater every day. It’s a step in the right direction, it’s progress, but there’s more work to be done for a clean sea and environment in the city of Durrës.”
Second Problem: Energy Supply in Moldova
Giannis Ilkos: “In Moldova, gas has become a weapon. As Moldova moved closer to the EU, Russia, via Gazprom, cut off gas to government-controlled regions while continuing supply to separatist Transnistria. The aim? To divide the country, freeze its citizens, and steal its European dream.”
Vittoria Prestifilippo: “But the EU acted fast. It co-funded the Iași-Ungheni-Chisinau pipeline connecting Moldova to Romania and to Europe. It gave Moldova access to EU gas storage and emergency electricity via the ENTSO-E network. Over 10 million euros in financial aid helped families pay energy bills, and EU funds are now supporting smart meters, grid upgrades, and clean energy projects around Moldova. This isn’t just crisis response. It’s Moldova’s escape from Russian energy blackmail and a leap forward toward EU membership.”
Third Problem: Air Pollution in North Macedonia
Kateryna-Mariia Marunchak: “Skopje, the capital of North Macedonia, ranks among the 10 most polluted cities in the world. Pollution levels go over 12 times the limit recommended by the World Health Organization. Linked to one in five deaths in the country, air pollution in Skopje is a silent killer. What can be done? Many homes in Skopje still burn wood and coal to stay warm, poisoning the air we breathe. Through EU for Clean Heat, the EU can support a program to replace all stoves with clean, modern heating, starting with the families that need it most. Clean homes, cleaner air, a step forward.”
