Bulgaria Could Benefit from EU Assistance over Migrant Influx - Commission VP

EU Commission VIce President for Budget and Human Resources Kristalina Georgieva. File photo, BGNES

Bulgaria could also benefit from the new financial instrument announced by the European Commission earlier this week, Commission Vice President Kristalina Georgieva said on Saturday.

In an interview with the Bulgarian National Radio, she explained the new instrument will allow the EU to react in up to 24 hours to humanitarian crises within the EU just as it has been done so far outside the union.

Georgieva asserted that the Commission would disburse such funding in case of emergency. She also ruled out assistance channelled through cohesion programs would not be diverted to crisis response.

On Wednesday the EU Commission proposed an emergency assistance instrument worth some EUR 700 M over three years.

The Commission then said all member states "overwhelmed by urgent and exceptional circumstances such as the sudden influx of refugees or other major disruptions could benefit from this new instrument."

Georgieva admitted on Saturday that the relocation of migrants, agreed last year, was going at a lower speed than it had been expected.

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