Bulgarian Govt Unveils Ambitious Plan for Major Infrastructure Projects
Bulgaria's Cabinet has unveiled an ambitious new plan for EUR 9 B in infrastructure investments in 2014-2020, which, however, has excluded projects earlier declared to be priorities.
The presentation of the major highway, railway, and river navigation infrastructure projects to be built after 2013 was made Wednesday by Transport Minister Ivaylo Moskovski, Regional Development Minister Lilyana Pavlova, and EU Funds Minister Tomislav Donchev.
According to Donchev, Bulgaria stands a chance of security a total of EUR 8.2 B for the infrastructure projects in question, out of their total estimated cost of EUR 9 B. Reports in the Bulgarian media, however, have pointed out that it is more realistic to expect about half of the total sum, while the remaining funds will likely have to come from loans or public-private partnerships.
The Bulgarian ministers made it clear that the projects in question are part of the projected trans-European transport network - TEN-T.
"Today the European Commission adopted new guidelines for the development of TEN-T, and is thus defining its priorities until 2020, 2030, and 2050," Bulgarian Transport Minister Moskovski pointed out.
He added that the development of the EU transport network is a priority for Bulgaria on all levels because the country is looking to utilize the advantages of its geographic location.
In October 2011, in Brussels, the Bulgarian government and the EC clarified all priority projects in the TEN-T network that go through Bulgarian territory, the Transport Minister announced.
The policy guidelines for TEN-T provide for a basic network, i.e. the most important transport links between the EU member states, and an expansive network - the transport routes that redistribute and feed the traffic from the basic network, he explained. (Source: Sofia News Agency)