site.btaGovernment Mulls Mechanism for Fair Financial Corrections in Operational Programme Management

Government Mulls Mechanism for Fair Financial Corrections in Operational Programme Management

Sofia, October 3 (BTA) - Working groups have presented a
mechanism for fair financial corrections in cases of breaches
under operational programmes at a meeting on Thursday, the
government information service said.

A month after Deputy Prime Minister Iliyana Tsanova committed to
propose measures for better coordinated work with the EU funds
and reduced financial risks in EU fund management, the working
groups set up on her initiative reported their activity to
stakeholders: managing and control authorities, beneficiaries,
representatives of the municipalities, employers and business
organizations. The meeting was also attended by Environment
Minister Svetlana Zhekova, Ginka Chavdarova, Director of the
National Association of Municipalities, Gabrovo Mayor Tanya
Hristova and Sofia Deputy Mayor Doncho Barbalov.

The first working group reviewed the effect of the
implementation of a methodology for determining the amount of
financial corrections effective as of June 24. The group
stressed that a clear approach was needed to identify cases when
the financial correction should not be for the beneficiary's
account, and suggested objective criteria for offsetting the
correction. The group drafted amendments to the methodology,
laying down the main principles for identifying such cases.

The second working group focused on ways to minimize errors in
public procurement. The group's proposals include: standardizing
of documents for public procurement tenders, exchange and
standardization of the practices and documents of the managing
and control authorities, and ex-ante control for low-priced
public procurement contracts on a random basis.

The third group, which is drafting a bill on EU funds
management, suggested the main principles which should
strengthen coordination at the level of management and control.