36 municipalities have received non-resource finance under OPRD

Deputy Minister Lilyana Pavlova, the Head of the Managing authority of OP “Regional Development”, signed contracts with 36 municipalities. In order to sign the contracts the municipalities presented approved projects under the scheme “Support for integrated plans of urban development and renovation”.

The total value of the non-resource finance, provided under these contracts is estimated to 21, 2 million leva, 18 million of which are co-financed by the European Fund for regional Development, explained Deputy Minister Pavlova. She also added that the finance resources under the scheme are divided into two components as follows:
- Component 1- Municipalities of 7 cities- Sofia, Varna, Bourgas, Rouse, Pleven, Plovdiv and Stara Zagora- with total value of the resource 7 million leva
- Component 2- 29 municipalities of mid-cities, centers of agglomerative areas, with a total value  of 14,5 million leva.

Five percent of the finance resource is the municipalities’ own contribution within the framework of the national co-finance.

The scheme aims mainly at the elaboration of integrated plans for urban development, aimed at sustainable and permanent overcoming of the high concentration of economical, nature-related and social problems in the 36 cities (centers of agglomerative areas).

According to Deputy Minister Pavlova the integrated plans would support the realization of a long term vision for the cities’ development through the realization of projects in the urban territories, in order to attract and manage precisely various investments, supported by the structural EU funds. There will be zones for interaction within the framework (no more than 3 zones in one integrated plan). In addition, there will be detailed spatial plans or projects for modification of the ones in force. Project research will be included and developed too.

The projects’ duration ranges between 24 and 30 months, which is the maximum period for their completion.