site.bta Deputy PM Kalfin: No Direct Threat to EU Funding for Now

Deputy PM Kalfin: No Direct Threat to EU Funding for Now

Sofia, November 17 (BTA) - Deputy Prime Minister and Labour and
Social Policy Minister Ivailo Kalfin said there is no direct
threat to the EU funds for the time being and the caps on
spending cannot be reduced. He addressed the Fifth Discussion on
 "The Nine Paths to the EU Funds" devoted to the opportunities
offered by Operational Programme Human Resources Development
2014-2020 to businesses and municipalities.

Kalfin said that in 2016 the European Commission would make a
halfway review and a threat could be expected at that time, if
ever.

In the new programming period the programmes under OP Human
Resources Development will focus on turning around the negative
tendencies of the labour market for the most vulnerable groups -
 young people and pre-retirees, Kalfin said. "The time is over
when the EU funds were just a source of extra financing for the
economy; now they offer us a unique opportunity to test new,
most creative programmes and to elaborate policies which
Bulgaria will later develop on its own, without EU funding," he
said.

Between 300 and 400 million leva are expected to be spent on the
 EU programmes targeting the labour market and social inclusion.
 Kalfin also said that his Ministry was shifting its focus from
fully subsidized programmes towards programmes where expenditure
 is shared with employers.

Kalfin noted that the aim now was to complete the operational
programme for the 2007-2013 programming period with 100 per cent
 absorption and as few financial corrections as possible. As
regards social inclusion, 74,000 people have received services
in their community or family, and 2,300 children have been taken
 out of institutions to be placed in family-type centres. The
socially oriented economy has provided jobs to more than 7,800
people, said Kalfin.

The operational programme has a budget of 2,136 million leva
until 2020, of which 1,266 million leva are intended for the
labour market and 658 million leva for social inclusion.
Currently there are 15 open programmes worth over 588 million
leva. Nearly 3,000 people have found jobs under the youth
employment programme. Total payments are an estimated 28.5
million leva.