Sofia wins EU extension on judicial reforms

The caretaker government has negotiated an extension with the European Commission for adopting anti-corruption legislation, preventing Bulgaria from losing funds under the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP), caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov said. The requirement to set up an anti-corruption commission and enable an investigation into the chief prosecutor—initially tied to the second and third RRP payments—has been deferred to the fourth and fifth tranches, or until August 31.

The extension effectively saves around €400 million linked to the second and third payments, which Bulgaria risked losing after the original May 4 deadline expired. Brussels has nonetheless taken a positive view of the government’s approval of the necessary legislative texts, now submitted to the new parliament.

By securing the extension, Bulgaria also preserves its chance to access up to €2.9 billion in remaining RRP funding, Deputy Prime Minister Maria Nedina said.

Editor: Ivo Ivanov

Edited and posted in English by E. Radkova