SEGA: EU Saves Millions of Euros at our Expense

EU will save millions from the funding which our country had to receive in order to strengthen control after Bulgaria became the outside border of the EU. This was made clear by the reports of Ministry of finance. The administration currently is examining the PHARE projects after Brussels cut out 220 million euro from the programme.

In the beginning of October the government allowed both agencies - one at the Ministry of Finance and the other by the Ministry of Regional Development - to enter into contracts up to 336424470 BGN. Those are 87 projects which the administrations refer to as urgent and that need to be completed. The government allocated 100 million BGN for this purpose. The Ministry of Finance had to suggest possible solutions for the remaining 226 million by December, 2nd.

On Thursday the ministers will discuss the report by Minister Plamen Oresharski. The report should include proposals which of the projects could be completed as part of operational programmes, which we should give up because contracts still have not been made and how much more funds the budget would be relocating.

The urgent projects of the Ministry of Finance amount to 105, 2 million euros, the ones of Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works - 66, 7 million. 20% of the Ministry of Finance funds are planned for projects performed by the Ministry of Interior. There is no option for not completing those projects because our country has entered into engagements as a member of the EU, the Ministry of Finance representatives explained.

This means that the national budget needs to allocate 5, 9 euros for the purchase of a helicopter and 5,7 million more for IT equipment for the outside borders of the EU. The Treasury will pay 1,3 million euros on noctovision goggles and field-glasses. Over 10 million euros are necessary for introducing TETRA radio communications system.

Bulgaria must also complete with its own resources a 4,2 million euros project for strengthening of customs control. The state needs to earmark over 10 million euros for the purchase of 8 cost guard cutters for the protection of our marine border.

Among the urgent projects are the ones for modernization of the police force (at the amount of 2,4 million euros) and the strategy for judicial reform 5,6 million. Bulgaria instead of PHARE has to complete the tourist center Perperikon - the amount needed is 3,2 million euros.

41% of the PHARE funds for the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works are earmarked for regional development, 12% for environmental protection and 16% for the development of transport infrastructure in cross-border regions.

"There have to be no breaches in any of the projects because financing them would be impossible with EU or "state" funds", Deputy Prime Minister Meglena Plugchieva explained. At the same time the Minister for European Affairs Gergana Grancharova stated on the behalf of NDSV (National Movement for Stability and Progress) that the party opposes the state budget funding the stopped projects. "NDSV wants no know what exactly are the projects for, who stays behind them, at what stage is their implementation so far, is there anything they need to be funded for from the national budget" Grancharova said.