Bulgaria's EUR 140 M SAPARD Funds Remain Blocked

The European Commission has decided not to unfreeze Bulgaria's blocked EUR 140 M until the country meets several conditions.

The news was announced Tuesday by Bulgaria's Deputy Prime Minister, Meglena Plugchieva, and the Agriculture Minister Valeri Tzvetanov, who met Monday with EU Agriculture and Rural Development Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel.

Plugchieva said the final EC decision on the frozen funds was expected by the end of June after the Bulgarian side presented its final audit for its price lists in approving agriculture projects.

The EC conditions for unblocking the money also include transparency whether the funding beneficiaries are related, the creation of a register including all cases of abuse of EU money, and their reporting to OLAF, the EU anti-fraud unit.

Plugchieva said the Bulgarian government had already taken those measures, and the only thing left was the audit report on their functioning which could be ready before the end of the term of the present government in June. She did say, however, the government was still looking for an auditor.

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