European Commission EU has adopted a positive assessment of Bulgaria's recovery and resilience plan, which is a key step paving the way for the disbursement of €6.3 billion in grants under the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF).
In a statement released by the Commission on Thursday as this plan financing will support the implementation of the crucial investment and reform measures outlined in Bulgaria's recovery and resilience plan.
According to the statement, "the plan will play a crucial role in enabling Bulgaria to emerge stronger from the COVID-19 pandemic.The RRF is the key instrument at the heart of NextGenerationEU. It will provide up to €800 billion (in current prices) to support investments and reforms across the EU.
"The Bulgarian plan forms part of an unprecedented coordinated EU response to COVID-19 crisis, address common European challenges by embracing the green and digital transitions, to strengthen economic and social resilience and the cohesion of the single market".
While assessing Bulgaria's plan based on the criteria set out in the RRF Regulation, the Commission's analysis considered, in particular, whether the investments and reforms contained in Bulgaria's plan support the green and digital transitions.
"Contribute to effectively addressing challenges identified in the European Semester; and strengthen its growth potential, job creation and economic and social resilience".
EU considered that Bulgaria's plan includes an extensive set of mutually reinforcing reforms and investments that contribute to effectively addressing all or a significant subset of the economic and social challenges outlined in country-specific recommendations addressed to Bulgaria.
"It contains comprehensive anti-corruption measures, including reforms to ensure the accountability and criminal liability of the General Prosecutor, strengthened anti-corruption institutions and increased transparency and competition in public procurement, as well as a reform to improve the governance of state-owned enterprises.
"The plan also included reforms and investments to foster social inclusion, notably by strengthening the adequacy and coverage of the minimum income scheme, improving the provision of employment and social services and their integration, modernising long-term care and through support for the culture and creative sectors.
Moreso, EU stated that Bulgaria's plan includes measures to modernise hospitals and medical facilities, establish an air ambulance system, construct outpatient care units in remote areas and under-served regions and address shortages of healthcare professionals across the country.
"The plan represents a balanced response to the economic and social situation of Bulgaria, thereby contributing appropriately to all six pillars referred to in the RRF Regulation".
Furthermore, the Commission said Bulgaria's plan proposes projects in all seven European flagship areas. These are specific investment projects which address issues that are common to all Member States in areas that create jobs and growth and are needed for the green and digital transition.
"For instance, Bulgaria has proposed a €924 million programme to renovate private and public buildings to improve their energy performance. This will reduce the primary energy demand in the country, limit energy waste, lower carbon emissions, while also ensuring positive social, health and environmental implications.
"To support the digital transition, €297 million will be invested in digitalisation of public administration and €270 million will be invested in the large-scale deployment of digital infrastructure, increasing the coverage of very high capacity networks across the country, including in rural and sparsely populated areas.
"The Commission's assessment also finds that none of the measures included in the plan significantly harms the environment, in line with the requirements laid out in the Regulation.
The Commission made consideration that the control systems put in place by Bulgaria are adequate to protect the financial interests of the Union. "The plan provides sufficient details on how national authorities will prevent, detect and correct instances of conflict of interest, corruption and fraud relating to the use of funds". EU President, von Der Leyen said, the European Commission is giving its green light to Bulgaria's recovery and resilience plan. It is an outstanding plan. Almost 60% of the plan supports the green transition. This is significant and, of course, it is most welcome.
"Because we need Bulgaria on board, on the road towards climate neutrality in the European Union. And if I may quote a few examples for the substance that is in this plan, under the umbrella of the European Green Deal: It is for example decarbonising power generation with binding caps on emissions from coal.
"It is scaling up renewables and energy storage a very important topic. It is reforming the electricity market, investment in smart grids and we all know, in these times, how important that is. It is investing in increased interconnections with Romania and Greece, very important too, to diversify the energy supply that we have.
"So not to be any more dependent on Russian coal gas and oil but to diversify towards reliable suppliers. And almost EUR 1 billion goes for energy renovation and large investments in clean mobility, including electric cars. So you see from the examples, this is outstanding", she said.
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