Bulgaria Might Be Asked to Recompense EU Funds

Bulgaria's Regional Minister, Lilyana Pavlova, attended the annual conference on the advancing of the EU Operational Program Regional Development, held in the village of Oreshak, near the town of Troyan. File photo

If Bulgaria fails by the end of 2013 to absorb BGN 1 B under the EU Operational Program Regional Development it would have to return some of the already contracted money.

The warning was issued Thursday by Bulgaria's Regional Minister, Lilyana Pavlova, at the annual conference on the advancing of the Program, held in the village of Oreshak, near the town of Troyan.

According to the Minister, half of the already launched projects are risky and need emergency measures, otherwise the funds will have to be reimbursed. She listed a number of such projects in public transportation, flood prevention, decentralization of institutions, and healthcare infrastructure.

Pavlova stressed that some have been contracted in 2008, before the cabinet of the Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria party, GERB, took office, but still remain uncompleted. She said the top reason for the delay is usually linked to the appeals of public tenders, adding there is an option to redirect the funding to other projects.

The Minister reminded that the total Program budget is BGN 3.1 B, with 90% of them already contracted and 32% - BGN 992 M already paid.

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