site.btaInterreg V-A Romania-Bulgaria Programme: Final Conference

The results of the Interreg V-A Romania-Bulgaria Programme 2014-2020 were reported at a final conference in Balchik (on the Black Sea) on Wednesday, Bulgaria's Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works said in a press release.

"Over the last nine years, we have jointly built an infrastructure and functioning partner networks and have set up instruments and services assisting the local communities," Bulgarian Deputy Regional Development and Public Works Minister Angelina Boneva said at the Bulgaria-hosted final conference.

Success stories include touristifying ancient settlements along the Danube, setting up a divers training centre and providing firefighters with state-of-the-art equipment.

Boneva expressed the hope that the expected admission of Bulgaria and Romania to the Schengen area will improve and further facilitate contacts and interrelations between citizens of the two countries.

A total of 172 contracts for the award of grant aid amounting to EUR 275,025,271 have been signed under the programme since 2014. As many as 147 projects have already been completed, and the implementation of another 22 is in progress. They target improvement of connectivity in the cross-border area, environmental protection, promotion of tourist sights, etc.  

Aurel-Dragos Draghescu, Deputy State Secretary at Romania's Ministry
of Development, Public Works and Administration, joined the forum along with academics and programme beneficiaries.

Later in the day in Varna (on the Black Sea), Deputy Minister Boneva opened a meeting of the Joint Monitoring Committee for the Joint Operational Programme Black Sea Basin 2014-2020, which is part of the part of EU Cross-Border Cooperation (CBC) under its European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI). Taking part were representatives of the European Commission, of the Programme's Managing Authority and the National Authorities of Armenia, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Moldova, Romania, Turkiye and Ukraine, the Joint Technical Secretariat, the Audit Authority, etc.