EC Gives Green Light for New Bulgaria EU Funds Minister

Bulgaria's Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, says the the EU is very responsive to all measures undertaken by the cabinet, including appointing a new Minister in charge of the European program funds. Photo by BGNES

Bulgaria's Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, informed that the European Commission already gave a stamp of approval for the intentions to appoint a Minister in charge of the EU funds.

In a Monday interview, Borisov says that the EU is very responsive to all measures undertaken by the cabinet, adding the new appointment comes with the goal to have a Minister and a team to summarize the use of the European program funds and communicate daily with Brussels.

The new Minister without Portfolio will report to the PM about the stage of each project, the way the funds are being absorbed, what public tenders are ongoing and how they are conducted, and the coordination between the local municipalities and the State, Borisov says.

The EC is also going to slate 30 staff employees to help writing project proposals when Bulgaria lacks resources to do so, the PM further informs.

On Friday Borisov launched the idea of the new EU funds Minister, saying its realization depends on the approval of the EC, and mentioning the name of the Mayor of the Central city of Gabrovo, Tomislav Donchev, as the most likely candidate.

For weeks the Democrats for Strong Bulgaria (DSB) party, which is part of the rightist Blue Coalition, insistsed before the PM and the Finance Minister, Simeon Djankov, on the appointment of an additional Deputy PM and on changing the structure of managing the absorption of EU money. Borisov, initially rejected their proposal, saying there there was no need to appoint a new Deputy PM for the time being. INSEAD Professor Ilian Mihov had been tipped for this position but he temporarily withdrew his bid in February.