EU invests €8.4m to revive Brčko river port
Demining on the Sava's right bank at 73 sites over five million m² begins to prepare for port modernisation and new investments.
The European Union has launched a major infrastructure project in Bosnia and Herzegovina worth about €8.4 million, aimed at reopening and developing the river port in Brčko and improving navigation along the Sava River to attract new investment.
Work has already begun on demining the Sava's right bank at 73 locations covering more than five million square metres, according to reports from Bosnia and Herzegovina. Clearing the land is presented as the essential first step to make the river corridor usable for freight transport.
Funding and wider programme
The project is financed with 16.5 million convertible marks in non‑repayable EU funds provided through the Western Balkans Investment Framework, with additional support from the World Bank. Authorities say the aid will also underpin later upgrades to port facilities.
Officials in the Ministry of Communications and Transport of Bosnia and Herzegovina have stressed that removing explosive hazards is a prerequisite for unlocking the Sava's economic potential, particularly for cargo river transport. The Brčko port is described as strategically important because it connects Bosnia and Herzegovina to international river corridors and European markets.
Edin Forto, the Minister of Communications and Transport, said the project will make it possible to reuse land that for more than three decades had been inaccessible due to the danger posed by mines. Alongside safety improvements, the programme is expected to create conditions for modernising port infrastructure, increasing river freight volumes and attracting new commercial investment.
The works form part of a broader integrated development programme for the Sava and Drina river corridors, which seeks to strengthen transport links and economic cooperation across the region.
Photo: press material from the event
