ECSBulgaria

During its last meeting the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development of the European Parliament has voted a draft report and amendments to it on the Regulation EC proposal  for establishment of common rules for farmers' direct payment schemes under the Common Agricultural Policy.

The amendment, that has been put forward by Bulgarian European deputy  Evgeny Kirilov, provides the opportunity for the member states, applying Single area payment scheme, to create a national reserve formed by the unspent funds of the allocated annual budget of direct payments. Thus they could use the national reserve to grant payments  during  specific difficulties in certain sectors and regions on their territory while ensure equal treatment between farmers and to avoid the breach of market principles and distortion of competition.

The ammendment voted will have a possitive effect  mostly on the new member states, which do not have such national reserve. The final adoption of the text of the Regulation will be done by the Council  of Ministers of Agriculture and fisheries.

The more intensive contracting under Transport Operational Program will start in the second half of 2009. This is what the Minister of Transport Peter Mutafchiev announced at the opening of  Open Doors Day at the Ministry of Transport. He declared that under the program are already contracted 470 mln.  BGN for the building of Sofia subway . The application form for  the subway construction, which beneficiary is Sofia Municipality, has been prepared.

Priority under OPT will be given to highways of the European network and those of national interest. Among the priorities is also the building of Struma highway, which will be funded with EUR 600  million. The building of Maritza highway will start at the beginning of  the next year, said Mutafchiev.

What differentiates OPT from other operational programs is that the final beneficiaries are known in advance, added Mutafchiev. Among them is the National company Railway Transport  with a few projects. The building of high-speed railway Sofia - Vidin was qualified by the minister as the most important project of this axis.

A new contract is to be signed till the end of 2008 for the construction of Svilengrad - Turkish boarder  railway, another major project under OPT. The value of the contract will be around EUR 48 mln.,  according to Mutafchiev.

The largest project under Improvement of Shipping Conditions Of  Maritime and Internal Water Ways  Priority Axis is the improvement of shipping in Bulgarian and Romanian section of Danube river. It amounts EUR 138 mln.

The Ministry of Environment and waters annouced  a Open Doors Day date under the initiative of Vice Premier Meglena Plugchieva for transperacy in European funds tapping. The initiative will be held on October 21, Tuesday, from 10:00 am to 17:30 pm in Annel Hall at Annel Hotel, situated at 14 Todor Alexandrov blvd.