PRESS RELEASE

The Managing Authority (MA) for the Interreg V-A Romania-Bulgaria Programme – the Romanian Ministry of Development, Public Works and Administration (MDPWA), the National Authority (NA) – the Bulgarian Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works (MRDPW) and the Joint Secretariat (JS) of the Programme- Regional Office for Cross-Border Cooperation for Romania-Bulgaria Border, organized today, December 16, 2021, online, the 13th meeting of Monitoring Committee for Interreg V-A Romania-Bulgaria Programme.

The management structures of Interreg V-A Romania-Bulgaria Programme presented the progress in the implementation in 2021. One of the most important financial achievements for 2021 is represented by the fact that the Programme submitted for reimbursement, by the European Commission, of approximately 53.6 MEuro (ERDF), ensuring the fulfillment of the absorption target for 2021 and also for 2022. Approximately 127 de million Eur ERDF, representing 58.82 % of the ERDF allocation at Programme level, were paid to the beneficiaries by December 2021.

Moreover, in 2021, the absorption rate at Programme level is of 58.82%, registering a significant increase in comparison with 2020, when the absorption rate was of 35.10%.

In terms of project implementation, the Programme has made important progress, 69.23% (117 finalized projects out of the total 169 projects) of the total contracted projects being completed and producing results that contribute to the development of the cross-border area and representing 34.73% of total value of the contracted projects.

The meeting continued with the presentation of the main communication activities planned for the next year, included in the Annual Communication Plan for 2022 and with the presentation of Mrs. Maud Skaringer, representative of DG REGIO, regarding the conclusions of ECA report- “Interreg cooperation: The potential of the European Union’s cross border regions has not yet been fully unlocked”.

The last discussion point on the agenda was the status of the programming process for the next Programme, with a special focus on the decision to use the 2014-2020 technical assistance funds for supporting the preparation of the Policy Objective 5, financed under Interreg VI-A Romania-Bulgaria Programme.