The absorption of funds from the Just Transition Fund is “zero”

The absorption of funds from the Just Transition Fund (JTF) is “zero.” The acting Minister of Regional Development and Public Works, Angelina Boneva, announced this to Bulgarian journalists in Brussels. According to her the implementation of the Regional Development Program 2021 – 2027 (RDP), one of the main instruments of European cohesion policy in Bulgaria, is also not good.

The European Commission’s request is for us to start working very intensively, the minister said, quoted by BTA.

According to Boneva, all options are open for Bulgaria to try to save the funds under the program for this year.

We are starting from scratch,” she said, commenting on the implementation of the RDP. “We are talking about over €600 million, we will have to work at full capacity, but there will be European money,” she said categorically.

We would like to remind you that around €1.5 billion is available for the three coal regions – Stara Zagora, Kyustendil and Pernik. This amount includes over €1.2 billion in European funding, with the rest coming from co-financing under the Regional Development Program. The Regional Program itself has a budget of around €1.8 billion, with ISUN 2000 data showing that less than 50% of the funds agreed upon so far have been disbursed and just over 10% have been paid out.

He pointed out that Bulgaria will participate “with great dynamism” in the EC’s new plan for investments in the eastern regions of the EU bordering Russia, Belarus and Ukraine. The Commission plans to provide nearly €28 billion in private and public investment in Bulgaria and eight other countries in the eastern part of the EU for this purpose.

Translated with DeepL.

Co-Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. The European Union cannot be held responsible for them.