Sunrise over Belgrade and National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia at the downtown
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Project benefitting from €8.8 million EU grant and €5 million EBRD loan -
Improved energy efficiency will boost energy savings -
Investment is part of the Green Cities Action Plan for Belgrade
More than 50 years since it opened, Belgrade’s urgent care centre will be reconstructed thanks to a project financed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the European Union (EU).
An €8.8 million EU grant agreement was signed today in the presence of the EBRD’s Western Balkans Regional Director, Matteo Colangeli, the Mayor of Belgrade, Aleksandar Šapić, Ambassador of the European Union to Serbia, Emanuele Giaufret, Minister of European Integration, Tanja Miščević and Minister of Health, Danica Grujičić.
The EU funds, as well as a previously secured €5 million EBRD loan, will finance renovation and expansion works on Belgrade’s urgent care centre. The total investment is expected to cost around €13.8 million.
In addition, the EU has secured a €1.7 million grant for technical assistance to the City of Belgrade to help implement the project and supervise the construction work, review the city’s potential for energy efficiency and put in place a sustainable financing mechanism.
Matteo Colangeli, EBRD Regional Director for the Western Balkans, said: “With rising energy prices, the case for investing in buildings’ energy efficiency is increasingly compelling. Beyond reduced energy bills, these investments contribute to cutting air pollution and creating green jobs in the local economy. In the coming years, EBRD will step up investments in Belgrade and other cities across Serbia in this important area.”
Emanuele Giaufret, Ambassador and Head of EU Delegation to the Republic of Serbia, stated, “This project precisely combines topics of public healthcare and energy in the best possible way, both of which the EU cares a great deal. The reconstruction and capacity increase of the Emergency Medical Institute in Belgrade is part of a larger project that includes the renovation of three other important city facilities: the Student Polyclinic, Student Hospital, and the Belgrade City Library. I would also like to remind you of the upcoming projects for the reconstruction of VMA (Military Medical Academy) and the construction of the Children’s Hospital Tiršova 2, for which the EU has provided €36 million in grants. New green projects are starting in Kostolac and Vlasina, and over 190,000 vulnerable families will have lower electricity and district heating bills thanks to the EU Energy Support Package worth €165 million”.
In addition to the signing of the grant agreement, it is expected that a works tender will also be published in the coming days.
The reconstruction of the urgent care centre will include work to improve energy efficiency, as well as to expand existing facilities by 4,000 m2. Measures aimed at improving energy efficiency will include thermal insulation, improved heating, ventilation and cooling systems, as well as the installation of energy-efficient lighting systems.
The investment is expected to lead to a significant reduction in energy consumption and CO2 emissions. Additional benefits include improved heating and cooling, providing better comfort for users of the facility, as well as significant savings in the city’s budget.
The investment is one of the priority projects defined by the Green City Action Plan for Belgrade, developed in cooperation with the EBRD. The Bank’s Green Cities programme, which Belgrade joined in 2019, helps cities invest in green and sustainable infrastructure and meet key environmental challenges. This is one of the first investments identified in the Action Plan, which was adopted in 2021.
In addition to the urgent care centre, three more public buildings have been prioritised for reconstruction: a student polyclinic, student hospital and the City of Belgrade Library. The planned reconstruction is expected to be financed by another EBRD and EU financial package.
