June 1 (SeeNews) - The European Union (EU) has transferred 72 million euro ($77.1 million) in grants to the Albanian government, part of an 80 million euro package agreed upon last year, to alleviate the energy crisis impact on the Albanian households and small medium enterprises (SMEs), the union said on Thursday.
The funds will subsidise the extra energy costs for 1 million households and 168,000 SMEs, provide financial aid to 11,200 persons vulnerable to the crisis, and support installation of solar water heaters, the EU stated in a notice on its website. The package also supports government efforts towards energy resource diversification through investments in wind and solar energy and new legislation.
The remaining 8 million euro will be transferred in 2024, pending the implementation of the relevant government measures.
The grants are provided under the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance 2023 (IPA23) for Albania.
IPA22 included an 82.6-million-euro contribution, for initiatives in the areas of environmental protection, developing perspectives for youth, and strengthening democracy, the EU said earlier.
($ = 0.933901 euro)