site.btaBulgaria Needs to Absorb 600 Million Euro under Operational Programme Transport in 2015 So As Not to Lose Funding

Bulgaria Needs to Absorb 600 Million Euro under Operational Programme Transport in 2015 So As Not to
Lose Funding


Sofia, January 22 (BTA) - Presenting the annual report on the
progress in the implementation of the Operational Programme (OP)
Transport, Transport, IT and Communications Minister Ivailo
Moskovski said Thursday that Bulgaria needs to absorb 600
million euro in 2015 so as not to lose funding under the OP.
Moskovski said that work on absorbing the money will be a big
challenge to the Ministry and the OP beneficiaries but said that
every effort will be made so as not to allow any loss of
funding.

The Minister noted that no loss of funding under the OP was
allowed in 2014, although there was one critical moment.
Moskovski said that the entire available funding under the OP
has been contracted. Paid out funding exceeds 1,500 million
euro, or 71-72 per cent of the OP. Nearly 1,100 million euro
have already be reimbursed to the national budget by Brussels,
he said.

Twenty-two investment projects are funded by the OP. Seven of
them are completed. More than 250 km railways have been
rehabilitated or newly built. More than 150 km of motorways have
been commissioned. Work continues on 15 major projects,
including the Strouma and Maritsa motorways and the Sofia
underground railway. Other big project include the construction
of coastal centres in Varna and Bourgas, the rehabilitation of
the Septemvri-Plovdiv railway, the modernization of the Central
Railway Station in Sofia, the construction of an intermodal
terminal in Plovdiv.

Moskovski spoke about the existence of an option to hold talks
with the European Commission on the N+3 rule, which has been
negotiated for some countries. If Bulgaria succeeds in
negotiating the rule, it will give a breath of fresh air to the
projects, he said, adding that if this is not achieved, efforts
will be made to complete the projects within 2015.