Interior Minister: Over EUR 57m of European Funds for Border Protection Absorbed

Until now, EUR 57,087,659 of the EUR 160 million of European support for border protection have been absorbed, assigned and paid out, Interior Minister Valentin Radev said at a briefing on the government’s programme for public order and security, Actualno.com, reported.

''The term for absorbing the EUR 160 million has been extended. To date, 36 procedures for border protection worth EUR 15.5 million have started, while 41 other procedures for about EUR 32.5 million are being prepared'', the minister said.

Border protection is part of the ministry’s priority linked to migration policy. Other priorities are increasing the country's security and the fight against terrorism.

New 778 policemen were appointed in the first 7 months of 2017, compared to 197 in the same period last year. Additional 228 firefighters were appointed.

Novinite.com recalls that last September 2016, the European Council decided to allocate from the European Commission's budget EUR 160 million, which Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov earlier demanded for our border guard against the refugee wave.

The news came from EC President Jean-Claude Juncker after the meeting of European leaders in Bratislava. Juncker especially accompanied Borisov to the Bulgarian media to announce that our country's request will be fulfilled.

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