European Commission Approves Last Two Bulgarian Operational Programmes for 2014-2020

Sofia, June 16 (BTA) - The European Commission on Tuesday
approved the last two of Bulgaria's seven Operational Programmes
for the 2014-2020 period: OP "Environment" and OP "Regions in
Growth," European Regional Policy Commissioner Corina Cretu said
in Sofia, emerging from a meeting with Prime Minister Boyko
Borissov.

The seven programmes will use 7.6 billion euro in funding.

Cretu said she was impressed by the work accomplished by the
Bulgarian authorities. She said the concerted effort has yielded
results, with Bulgaria's EU aid absorption rate for the
2007-2013 programmes standing at 76.3 per cent, compared with 60
per cent just six months ago.

The Commissioner noted that Bulgaria has avoided having to
return 250 million euro to the European Commission. Still, there
is 1.8 billion euro which remains to be absorbed by the country
under the 2007-2013 programmes, she said, expressing her
optimism and conviction that the government will do everything
to make that happen.

Prime Minister Borissov said that these results have been
achieved in a stable domestic political environment. The fact
that more than 3 billion euro in funding has been approved for
OP "Environment" and OP "Regions in Growth" is a major success,
he said. He is convinced that Bulgaria's EU aid absorption rate
for the 2007-2013 programmes, which currently exceeds 76 per
cent, will reach 92 or 93 per cent by the end of 2015 because
the country is making huge efforts. He praised Deputy Prime
Minister for EU Funds and Economic Policy Tomislav Donchev,
Regional Development and Public Works Minister Liliyana Pavlova
and Environment and Water Minister Ivelina Vassileva for their
remarkable scrupulousness in these matters.

Borissov updated Cretu on the results of the fight against
smuggling and corruption. These efforts have brought more money
into the national budget which will allow an increase in
national co-financing for EU-supported projects next year, he
said. He assured Cretu that problems are addressed without
delay, which is why Bulgaria is a front-runner in utilizing EU
funding, and particularly in minimizing errors.