IME: Bulgaria has received €16.3 billion in EU funds since joining the EU

Since 2007, when Bulgaria joined the European Union, the country has received €16.3 billion in EU funds, according to an analysis by the Institute for Market Economics (IME).

European funds have been invested in all major infrastructure projects. The largest amounts were spent in Sofia - €3.1 billion, mainly on the metro extension, and in Plovdiv - €818 million, mainly on water and sewage projects.

By the end of last year, all municipalities had spent at least €255 per capita in EU funds, the analysis also shows. At the top of the list are municipalities that have received ten times more funding in relation to their population.