Bulgaria restructures regional programme to save 800 mln euros

Bulgaria's government approved a restructuring of the Regional Development Programme and the Just Transition Plan to safeguard 800 million euros in EU funding by the end of the year, Deputy Prime Minister Atanas Pekanov said, quoted by The Bulgarian Telegraph Agency (BTA).

The two programmes have a combined budget of about 3 billion euros. Under the restructuring, funding will be redirected to projects that can be completed on time, including a children's hospital in Burgas and urban transport projects in nine municipalities, including Sofia.

Pekanov said little spending had been declared under the programmes in recent years. He added that the European Commission had flagged possible manipulation in a cancelled 127-million-euro project for small and medium-sized enterprises in Stara Zagora.

Funding earmarked for the cancelled project will be preserved, and eligible companies will be able to apply under a new call for proposals, Pekanov said.

Editor: Miglena Ivanova

English editor: Elizabeth Radkova