In 2023, JASPERS helped its partners seize new opportunities throughout Europe. As a key provider of advisory for the European Commission and the European Investment Bank, we are the single largest advisory initiative under the EU Cohesion Policy. Since 2005, JASPERS has supported the preparation of projects worth over €317 billion in total.
In 2023 we focused on promoting growth and paving the way to a smarter, greener and more connected Europe through our work on 582 advisory assignments, 111 of which were independent quality review appraisals. Last year we also ramped up support for countries beyond the European Union. As of 2023, we are tripling our advisory support for the Western Balkans and Türkiye, to as much as €20 million over the next six years. We also began work in Ukraine and published a strategy for the EU integration of the Ukrainian and Moldovan rail systems to help strengthen cross-border rail connections.
I would like to congratulate JASPERS for being recognised as a 5-star outstanding organisation by the European Foundation for Quality Management.
We are helping to kickstart many impactful projects — from improving energy efficiency, to providing cleaner water, to building greener transport. You will read about some of them in this report.
JASPERS, a joint initiative of the EIB and the European Commission, supports cities and regions as they translate EU policies into concrete projects and seek financing from European funds. Some of these projects may also receive EIB financing at a later stage. Our activities focus on promoting climate action and environmental sustainability, innovation and digital transformation, cohesion, a just transition, and social infrastructure to improve people’s lives in all regions. Most of our assignments support development projects in key sectors like sustainable transport, water and wastewater, construction, energy efficiency and renewable energy, and research and development.
JASPERS activities primarily target cohesion regions, where greater support is needed to meet Europe’s climate and social inclusion goals. We offer free assistance to national, regional and local authorities, and other beneficiaries of EU funds. But our work does not stop at the European Union’s external borders. Beyond Member States, we also support clients in pre-accession and Eastern Partnership countries, helping them develop projects aligned with the highest EU standards and improving their chances of securing EU and EIB funding.
active assignments
host countries
in investment mobilised
JASPERS experienced an extraordinary surge in 2023, with 300 new assignments created, including advisory and independent quality reviews — more than double the number of new assignments in 2022.
Independent quality reviews increased dramatically in 2023, with the successful completion of 111 appraisals, compared with 35 reviews conducted in 2022. This unprecedented rise of 217% was primarily fuelled by a wave of major projects that were so badly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine that they had to be modified and resubmitted for grant approval.
The number of advisory assignments also grew in 2023, with 582 advisory tasks completed or ongoing, compared with 456 in 2022.
Since 2011, JASPERS experts have helped to prepare €9 billion worth of projects in the Western Balkans. In 2023, we announced that we would triple our advisory support for the Western Balkans and Türkiye to as much as €20 million.
The increased technical assistance will help the Western Balkans bring more projects to fruition under the European Commission’s Economic and Investment Plan. Half of the plan has already been implemented — with close to €16 million in financing for 54 projects, and €4.3 billion in grants — and its impact is visible on the ground.
Our commitment to quality is deeply rooted in our culture. In 2023, the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) recognised JASPERS as a 5-star outstanding organisation. This award reflects the work of more than 100 advisory experts who help prepare projects that promote growth and pave the way to a greener, more connected, more innovative Europe. This is the third time that the EFQM has acknowledged our dedication to excellence.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, land transport connections between Ukraine and the European Union have become vital for imports and exports. The EU-Ukraine Solidarity Lanes were created to strengthen these cross-border connections.
In 2023, JASPERS published a study by the European Commission and the EIB: Strategy for the EU integration of the Ukrainian and Moldovan rail systems. It recommends putting lines to Lviv and Chiṣinău on the European rail gauge (the gauge of a railroad track is the distance between the two rails), as a first step toward better connections between Poland and Ukraine, and Romania and Moldova.
JASPERS analysed existing rail connectivity barriers, including the difference between the rail gauge in most of the European Union and that in Eastern Europe.
Our publications in 2023
Our trainings in 2023
