A RANGE OF BARRIERS TO GOOD EU FUNDS ABSORPTION

UNDP Bulgaria releases survey on the capacity of businesses and the NGO sector to use the EU Structural and Cohesion Funds: are we ready for the European funds?

An expert evaluation on the preparedness of businesses and the NGO sector to use efficiently resources from the EU funds is revealed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The evaluation is based on a survey carried out among 419 non-governmental organizations and 474 companies across the country. The survey identified a range of barriers to good EU funds absorption. The main problems arise from unrealistic expectations, difficulties with the provision of funding and co-funding, unequal capacity of the actors, inadequate communication, the inefficiency of the training provided up to now, absent long-term development vision. All NGOs want to participate in Structural Funds absorption and 74 % of them want to be very active in this. The level of willingness among businesses is more modest – 37 % expect to have a very active participation. Against the background of this strong desire, the non-governmental and private sector are only partially ready to participate in the structural funds. In terms of the country’s regions, capacity is the lowest in the least developed parts of the country which need development support the most and potentially are these most eligible for structural funds interventions. Businesses’ and NGOs’ weak capacity in those regions is coupled with weak capacity in local authorities, the survey reveals. Unless measures are taken, those problems will create serious threats for Bulgaria’s participation in the EU’s structural and regional policy. This means missed opportunities for fast approximation of development levels and standards of living with EU member states.

UNDP_capacity_report.pdf (228.37 Kb)

Structural funds are an opportunity: how it will be used depends on national capacity. Absorption of the structural and cohesion funds has its risks. The first of them is the non-absorption of the funds. The second is inefficient absorption – activities funded do not bring about the desired impact. Thirdly, structural funds issues are always very “political” and may result in conflicts between stakeholders (participants in the development and implementation of policies and programmes supported by the structural funds and target groups for them).

EU accession is a unique opportunity for Bulgaria to use the resources made available to it through the EU Structural and Cohesion funds to build the foundations of a lasting improvement in people’s lives. Lead by this conviction the UNDP Country Office jointly with the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works carried out a survey of non-governmental organizations and businesses preparedness to operate with the EU funds. The survey is part of a series of three expert studies UNDP Bulgaria will release in the coming weeks. The second survey is a comparative analysis of the experience of two old and two new EU member states (Portugal, Ireland, Poland and the Czech Republic) and the experience available in Bulgaria in the application of the partnership principle in the planning and absorption of the structural funds. The third survey is an updated evaluation of the administrative capacity of 209 Bulgarian Municipalities and 28 districts for participation in the planning and absorption of the EU Structural and Cohesion Funds.

Participating in the surveys and in the discussions of preliminary results and final versions of the three reports were representatives of central government administration and the NGO sector directly involved with or participating in the working groups on the six operational programmes and the National Strategic Reference Framework – the fundamental strategic document for the country’s participation in the EU funds.

UNDP is the UN’s global development network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life.  UNDP Bulgaria focuses upon reducing poverty levels, raising the quality of life and promoting good governance for sustainable development as the main development challenges.