site.btaJustice Minister Catalogues Successful Projects Supported by Norwegian Financial Mechanism

Justice Minister Catalogues Successful Projects Supported by Norwegian Financial Mechanism

Sofia, November 19 (BTA) - The Norwegian grants enabled Bulgaria to pursue sustainable policies in the judiciary and allowed it to stay focused on longstanding problems, Bulgarian Justice Minister Hristo Ivanov said here Thursday as he reported the progress this country has achieved with support from the Norwegian Financial Mechanism. He was speaking at an event in the Norwegian Embassy in the presence of ambassadors of countries from the European Economic Area, the EU, Switzerland and the US.

Ivanov thanked for the support in key areas where Bulgaria has been experiencing persistent problems: bad conditions and overcrowding of prisons, and inadequate national capacity for meeting the standards under the European Convention on Human Rights.

He enlisted some specific projects which have been completed under two programmes (Correctional Services Including Non-Custodial Sanctions and Judicial Capacity-Building and Cooperation): providing equipment for a medical centre and a creche in Bulgaria's only women's prison; building and providing equipment for a building seating the remand centre and the probation service in Shoumen; renovating a building used by the penitentiary administration in Pleven; and refurbishing a prison hospital in Lovech; improving the access to legal assistance for vulnerable groups; training of magistrates and experts in the areas of human rights and liberties, among others, plus ongoing projects.

Ivanov said that the results accomplished with the assistance of the Norwegian grants include "important steps for strengthening the Supreme Judicial Council and improving the efficiency of the judiciairy".