Satellite Event of the European Commission’s Annual Research Conference 2023

Access to finance, economic convergence and EU accession – perspectives for Ukraine, Moldova and the Western Balkans

Organized by the Oesterreichische Nationalbank (OeNB) and the National Bank of Slovakia (NBS) in cooperation with the European Commission, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the Bank of Finland Institute for Emerging Economies (BOFIT).

Ukraine, Moldova and the Western Balkans are united by the common perspective of joining the EU, although timelines remain uncertain. EU accession and the convergence of income levels in these countries toward EU levels will require a substantial amount of capital provided by public and private sources both abroad and in the countries themselves. Moreover, the EU candidates will be required to create the right framework conditions, allowing them to leverage these financial flows. Taking the perspective of the candidates, the EU and international financial institutions, this conference looked at financing needs and possible financing sources. Speakers and panelists also discussed lessons learned from previous EU accessions of post-transition economies.

Program