Brussels, 14/11/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Friday 14 November, the Commission restarted payments under the Environmental Operational Programme. At the beginning of 2014 the European Commission initiated a procedure leading to a temporary suspension of payments from EU funds, due to suspected irregularities in the calls for tender.
In a letter addressed to the Bulgarian authorities on 13 November, the Commission confirmed that €166 million from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and €74 million from Cohesion Funds would be paid out. An audit mission in October 2014 concluded that all the corrective measures had been implemented to reduce the risk of errors and irregularities. The Commission had concerns that the Bulgarian supervisory body was too weak. The European Commissioner for Regional Policy, Corina Cretu, described the news as a step forward by the Bulgarian authorities to improve their management system. She indicated that it was an excellent thing for the country's economy and the partnership between Bulgaria and the Commission that the payments could restart. The Commissioner for the Budget, Kristalina Georgieva, was also delighted that the Commission recognised, “when a job is done well and the rules are respected”. (MD)