The European Union (EU) has frozen millions of euros in funds for four programs that Bulgaria was due to receive, after reports of corruption and irregularities in fund control, local press reported Friday.
The European Commission (EC) froze 50 million euros (77 million U.S. dollars) of funds under the PHARE program because of irregularities in fund management, Bulgaria's Deputy Finance Minister Dimitar Ivanovski announced Thursday.
PHARE is the main vehicle for pre-accession assistance to EU candidate countries. The main aim of the program is to support the candidate countries in the process of adopting and implementing the acquis communitarian (the entire body of European laws) and to prepare them for managing the Structural Funds.
Meanwhile, Sofia's Mayor Boyko Borisov said Friday that the EC had frozen the funds for Bulgaria under the Special Accession Programme For Agriculture And Rural Development (SAPARD), the aim of which is to help the 10 beneficiary countries of Central and Eastern Europe deal with the problems in the structural adjustment in their agricultural sectors and rural areas, as well as in the implementation of the acquis communitarian concerning the Common Agricultural Policy and related legislation.
The EC also froze Bulgaria's funding under another EU pre-accession program, Instrument for Structural Policies for pre-Accession (ISPA), which was designed to address environmental and transport infrastructure priorities of the countries in Central and Eastern Europe.
Over 217 million euros (334 million dollars) under the Regional Development Program were also suspended.
Brussels took the measures in the wake of the corruption scandal in Bulgaria's Road Infrastructure Agency, in which high-ranking officials were found taking bribes. The EC has noticed other irregularities in Bulgaria's mismanagement of EU funds as well.
However, Ivanovski said that between March 17-21, a technical meeting will be held in the head office of the EC Enlargement Directorate in Brussels, where Bulgaria will have the opportunity to present its position.
Commenting on the payment suspension, Bulgarian Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev said detailed information is expected before the end of next week in response to the criticism from the EC.
"These are not corruption accusations but specific cases, flaws or difficulties," he said.
Source: Xinhua
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