Bulgaria will receive more funds in the next programming period
09 February 2013 News
Statement by Foreign Minister Nickolay Mladenov on the successfully concluded negotiations on the EU budget
The European Council meeting that concluded yesterday achieved a difficult but important compromise on the EU Multiannual Financial Framework for 2014-2020. For Bulgaria specifically, the outcome was good, and in the next programming period, our country will be able to receive more than 15.2 billion euro. Bulgaria is among four EU member states that will have their funding increased in the new financial framework.
In spite of the overall EU budget being reduced from that for the 2007-2013 period, Bulgaria will receive more funds in the next programming period. In the new Multiannual Financial Framework, we will receive more than 12 billion euro net income from the EU. This position is much better than most other EU member states (an increase of more than 50 per cent). Bulgaria is the biggest net beneficiary among member states.
Our request was granted to provide more freedom to member states to transfer funds between the two pillars of the Common Agricultural Policy, direct payments and rural development.
Bulgaria is receiving the opportunity for additional funding under the Connecting Europe instrument.
There will also be additional European financing for programmes for science, education, migration, protection of external borders and internal security, and for justice.
I want to express my thanks for this undoubted success to the dozens of experts from all Bulgarian ministries, who worked hard during the tough negotiations.