About
Economic Appraisal (EA) is crucial for ensuring that public investment projects are both financially viable and aligned with broader socio-economic goals. This is particularly important for in Pre-accession and Eastern neighbourhood countries seeking EU funding and aiming to meet EU standards. The EU supports these countries, especially in the Western Balkans, Eastern Partnership regions, Ukraine, and Moldova, through various funding mechanisms such as the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA), the Neighbourhood, Development, and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI), and Macro-Financial Assistance (MFA). These instruments foster development in key sectors like infrastructure, governance, and economic growth, while promoting alignment with EU policies and standards.
Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) and other forms of EA are essential tools for justifying projects and ensuring they deliver long-term benefits. They play a critical role at various stages of the project cycle:
- Project Preparation: CBAs/EAs help identify the best alternatives by comparing project options against set objectives and criteria, assessing projects’ financial sustainability and economic viability, and evaluating project risks and potential mitigants during procurement and implementation.
- Implementation: CBAs/EAs can help ensuring projects are on track to meet planned activities and objectives, serving as a reference point to monitor progress from financial and economic perspectives.
- Post-Project Evaluation: CBAs/EAs facilitate learning by identifying discrepancies between predicted and actual outcomes, informing the development of future projects and policies.
This iterative process enhances decision-making and strengthens transparency and accountability in project selection. For Pre-accession and Eastern neighbourhood countries, adopting rigorous EA methodologies is vital to align with EU standards, ensure efficient use of public funds, and contribute to sustainable development goals. Strong economic appraisals can improve their chances of securing EU funding, ensure projects’ quality and achieve positive, long-term outcomes.
CBA and EA methodologies have been used in the preparation and appraisal of EU-funded projects for several decades. In the 2021-27 cohesion context, the Common Provision Regulation requires managing authorities to ensure value for money in selecting operations to be financed. CBA and EA can be part of a broader methodology and criteria for selecting operations. EA is also relevant in other investment contexts beyond cohesion policy, including the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) and the InvestEU Fund.
Target audience
More than 45 participants joined our webinar. It was mainly aimed at National, Regional and Local Authorities handling EU funds, implementing bodies, relevant line ministries and other relevant institutions involved in cost-benefit analysis and economic appraisal for project preparation beyond the European Union.
Objectives
This webinar showcased our expertise in CBA and EA, and our experience on advisory support, acquired over nearly 20 years of supporting the preparation of EU-funded projects.
It covered the key principles of CBA/EA, providing participants with opportunities to engage in insightful discussions through Q&A sessions.
The webinar also assessed the participants' need for support in CBA and EA in the future, as well as training sessions to help them better manage and use EU funds.
Follow-up webinars will be planned in the course of 2025.
Agenda
Resources
1. Introduction to JASPERS and capacity building programme for countries outside of the EU.
2. Methodological insights on CBA and Economic Appraisal for project preparation
3. North Macedonia: Water sectorin Skopje
4. Levelised cost of heat as simplified CBA for District Heating projects
5. Ukraine: Economic Appraisal at Public Investment Management
Ensuring resilience of infrastructure projects in 2021-27
Access the webinar on Resilience in Infrastructure Projects to explore best practices and tools for climate-proofing infrastructure in the 2021–2027 EU programming period, organised by the EIB Advisory through its JASPERS mandate. Learn from experts and EU Member States about implementing climate resilience strategies, overcoming challenges, and enhancing capacity building. Ideal for managing authorities, implementing bodies, and policymakers focused on sustainable, future-proof infrastructure development.
Practical application of the European Commission's technical guidance on climate proofing
Discover how to apply the European Commission’s Technical Guidance on Climate Proofing in infrastructure projects during this JASPERS EIB Advisory webinar. Gain insights into climate risk screening, adaptation planning, and regulatory compliance for the 2021–2027 EU programming period. Designed for managing authorities, implementing bodies, and project developers aiming to align with EU climate resilience and mitigation standards.
Climate resilience and adaptation plans of the urban mobility system
On 18 June 2025, JASPERS, in collaboration with the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility of Spain, hosted an online workshop focused on integrating climate change adaptation and resilience into Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs). The session brought together representatives from Spanish cities and regions, aiming to strengthen the alignment of urban mobility planning with the EU Green Deal, TEN-T regulation, and the broader climate objectives of the European Union. The workshop explored the dual challenge of mitigation and adaptation in the transport sector, with a particular emphasis on the latter. Participants discussed the increasing vulnerability of transport infrastructure to climate-related hazards and the need for robust Climate Change Vulnerability and Risk Assessments (CCVRA) as a foundation for planning resilient urban mobility systems. Key topics included: • The role of SUMPs in addressing climate risks at urban node level within the TEN-T network. • The EU’s climate proofing requirements for infrastructure (2021–2027) and their implications for urban mobility. • Tools and methodologies for assessing climate sensitivity and exposure in transport systems. • Examples of adaptation strategies and action plans from across Europe, including Spain’s national road and rail networks. The event also highlighted the importance of intersectoral collaboration, public engagement, and the use of digital tools in building climate-resilient mobility systems. The presentation shared during the workshop is now available for download This initiative is part of JASPERS’ ongoing support to Member States in mainstreaming climate resilience into infrastructure planning and investment, in line with the EU Taxonomy and EIB Climate Bank Roadmap.
Questions?
For any further enquiry on this webinar and in general on the activities of the JASPERS Knowledge Platform please write an email to jaspersnetwork@eib.org