Bulgaria May Get 15% More EU Funds for 2014-2020 - Minister

EU Funds Minister Tomislav Donchev has said that Bulgaria has a chance of getting 10-15% more EU money in the next programming period. Photo by BGNES

If Bulgaria retains its current parameters, it stands the chance of getting 10-15% more EU money in the next programming period, according to EU Funds Minister Tomislav Donchev.

In a Friday interview for Darik radio, he said that the expected increase in EU funds was not 100% certain.

Donchev stressed, however, that Bulgaria would do everything possible to prevent a decrease of the EU allocations.

He assured that Bulgaria would get EU funding for all of its key needs in the next programming period lasting until 2020.

The EU Funds Minister specified that 30% of all EU money would go to three sectors – water, roads and railway, 52% would be spent on energy efficiency measures, urban development, small and medium-sized enterprises, and innovations and scientific infrastructure, and 18% would be earmarked for the social sphere and boosting qualifications.

"Bulgaria supports the strict financial discipline and the reforms imposed by the EU," Donchev stated.

"First of all, the entire Cohesion Policy will turn into an instrument for exerting substantial pressure to guarantee budget discipline. A simple rule will be introduced – if a country violates the deficit parameters, all of its EU funding under the different EU programs will be stopped immediately," Donchev made clear.

He explained that all EU countries would have to commit to a list of concrete reforms to be implemented in key spheres.

Donchev explained that the progress of each of the EU Member States would be monitored by end-December 2016 and if the results proved less than encouraging, the funding for the respective sphere could be stopped.

He admitted that Bulgaria's good financial discipline was paid for by Bulgarian citizens "to some extent" but emphasized that there was no alternative.

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