Economic support of the Western Balkans has come into focus with the new geopolitical context. In this presentation, Prof. Milica Uvalic discusses the European Union’s most recent economic initiative towards the Western Balkan countries. Prof. Uvalic zooms in on The EU Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans and its seven flagship projects drawing on the findings of a recent report for the European Parliament prepared together with Will Bartlett (LSE) and Matteo Bonomi (IAI). She unpacks the reasons why, despite its ambitious goals, the Plan may not be able to contribute in a major way to economic development of the region. In so doing, she addresses some of the critical issues of the EU’s economic and political strategies in the Western Balkans.