Bulgaria Expects 700 Million Levs in EU Funding Under OP Environment by End 2014

Bulgaria expects to receive 700 million levs in funding under the EU’s Operational Programme Environment by the end of the year, caretaker Environment Minister Svetlana Zhekova has said.

The sum comprises delayed and suspended payments as well as new payments processed over the past two months, Zhekova told Darik radio station on Saturday.

The announcement comes several days after Iliyana Tsanova, caretaker Deputy Prime Minister in charge of EU funds, said the European Commission will unblock frozen payments to Bulgaria under OP Environment within two weeks.

With Bulgaria having passed the entire cycle of auditing of 239 projects under Operational Programme Environment by the Commission, the  government is now confident the EU executive body will put disbursement of the funds high on its agenda, Zhekova added.