A representative of the Croatian Social Democratic Party in the European Parliament, Tonino Picula, said the first evidence of solidarity towards the Western Balkan countries would be to allow them to use EU funds in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
“We must not let the WB countries deal with this extraordinary human and economic crisis caused by the coronavirus all alone. Their health care systems have insufficient funds and lack health staff who had abandoned them,“ Mr Picula added.
According to him, it’s urgent to make the IPA funds more flexible for use so that the WB countries can have enough money to counter the impact of the coronavirus, and to see ways of using the part of funds from other external financial instruments.
