Bulgaria will be able to benefit from seven operational programmes over the next programming period (2014-2020) or EUR 7.6 billion in funding, said European Regional Policy Commissioner Corina Cretu, who paid a visit to this country at the invitation of Prime Minister Boyko Borissov. She added that investments were being channeled to key areas to create jobs, promote innovation, encourage the young and build a future for the country.

“I am impressed by the work accomplished by the Bulgarian authorities. 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 percent just six months ago.”

On his part Prime Minister Borissov stated that the last two of Bulgaria's seven Operational Programmes for the 2014-2020 period: OP “Environment” and OP “Regions in Growth”, totaling EUR 2.8 billion had been approved. The Bulgarian Prime Minister qualified the European funding absorption rate in recent months as a success:

“I am sure than by the end of the year we shall have a 90-92 percent absorption rate for the previous programming period, because we have been very strict. We shall make enormous efforts so this money may flow into the economy, into major infrastructure projects, into the environment,” Borissov said.

Corina Cretu noted that Bulgaria has avoided having to return EUR 250 million to the European Commission which means the sum is being used to assist Bulgarian businesses and the rural areas. Still, there is EUR 1.8 billion yet to be absorbed by the country by the end of the programming period, she said. Asked whether the unfinished projects for the year would be extended, Corina Cretu stated all countries needed to finalise their projects by December 2015, though she did say it was possible for some projects to be transferred to the new programming period. By the end of this year Bulgaria should have finalized work on OP “Transport”, “Regional development”, “Environment” etc.

English version: Milena Daynova