site.bta Regional Development Minister Pavlova Participates in Meeting on EU Strategy for the Danube Region
Regional Development Minister Pavlova Participates in Meeting on EU Strategy for the Danube Region
Brussels/Sofia, May 13 (BTA) - Regional Development and Public
Works Minister Liliyana Pavlova Wednesday participated in a
Brussels meeting of the ministers responsible for the EU
Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR) and the foreign ministers
of the countries participating in the initiative. The forum is
intended to inform the ministers about Baden-Wuerttemberg's
rotating presidency and to provide a platform for discussion of
topical matters, including possible ways to finance the
activities envisaged in the Strategy.
Pavlova told the participants that Bulgaria backs the joint
declaration on the Strategy, which approves a single managing
structure of the EUSDR entailing greater commitment of the
riparian countries. The member states agree to apply the Troika
leadership consisting of the previous, current and future
rotating presidents.
The ministers discussed the need of better channelling of all
financial resources in support of the Strategy's implementation.
Pavlova officially stated Bulgaria's wish to assume the EUSDR
rotating presidency during its EU Presidency in the second half
of 2018. She told the participants that Bulgaria had completed
its coordination tasks at the national level. The EU Structural
and Investment Funds have been the main source of financing, but
the countries should seek possibilities for financing under
various EU programmes managed by the European Commission, the
financial institutions and the private sector.
Pavlova also conferred with the Vice President of the European
Commission and Commissioner for Budget and Human Resources
Kristalina Georgieva. The sides discussed subjects of common
interest and how European funds could work more quickly and
efficiently for Bulgaria.
Streamlining the procedures and speeding up the applications of
the countries for financial support following natural
disasters along the line of the Solidarity Fund was one of the
subjects brought up by Pavlova. To date, Bulgaria has sent
three requests for financial assistance, on one of which funds
have actually been transferred. This particular case is the
flooding in the Asparouhovo neighborhood of Varna (on the
Black Sea). The second application is for the disaster in
Mizia, which is expecting approval by the Council and the
European Parliament by the end of June 2015.
Pavlova requested support for the priority consideration of
Bulgaria third application related to the winter disaster on
the territory of the entire country. This was submitted on April
24 this year and is worth 247 million euro.
To step up restorations works in the disaster regions, Bulgaria
has requested an advance payment, which is a precedent in the
practice of the Solidarity Fund to date.
Pavlova and Georgieva also discussed ideas how Bulgaria could be
more active in respect to the Juncker Plan, as well as the
possible steps which could make this happen.
Funding under the new operational programmes is headed for
Bulgaria. The process of approval of the last ones, OP Regions
in Growth and OP Environment, will be completed soon. Georgieva
also recommended that Bulgaria should not lose time and should
prepare the notices for invitation in them.
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