BGN 29 million are allocated for joint projects for indirect business support in the border municipalities of Greece and Bulgaria

We propose to the EC to approve another 20 million BGN to be redistributed to finance eco-projects in the border area

Nearly BGN 29 million for joint measures and activities aimed at indirectly supporting businesses in the cross-border region will be granted to 96 institutions and organizations in the border municipalities of Bulgaria and Greece under the Cross-border Cooperation Programme between the two countries co-managed by the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works.  Of these, nearly BGN 12 million are funds for projects of 45 Bulgarian organisations, including professional and employers' organisations.  They will carry out a supporting role for small and medium-sized enterprises in the region in the form of promoting entrepreneurship, training, exchange of practices, introduction of innovative approaches for the benefit of business, etc.

This became clear during the 7th meeting of the Monitoring Committee of the INTERREG V-A Greece-Bulgaria 2014-2020 Programme, which took place online today, where the results of the evaluation of the project proposals received under the sixth call under the Priority Axis "Competitive and Innovative Cross-Border Region" were approved.    The meeting was co-chaired by the Deputy Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Denitsa Nikolova and Special Secretary Mr Georgios Zervos from the Ministry of Economy and Development of Greece.  Mr Ivan Fesenko from the European Commission also took part in the meeting.

"In these challenging times, when we all have to work under constraints due to the COVID pandemic, the programme continues to stimulate the local economy through the direct support to small and medium enterprises that we approved in July and now through support to their professional organisations," said Deputy Minister Nikolova.  She noted that a positive effect of the projects for economic activity is expected in the border region. "It is our duty and priority to show the population in the border areas that our joint investments are able to contribute to the recovery of the economy, including during a pandemic," Nikolova added.

During the meeting, a transfer of a free resource of BGN 9.4 million to the Priority Axis "Sustainable and Climate Adaptable Cross-border area" was approved, which, after approval by the European Commission, will enable the financing of additional activities under the strategic projects of the flood risk prevention programme.

The second meeting of the Programme Committee for the preparation of the future CBC Programme Greece-Bulgaria 2021-2027 took place immediately after the CN meeting. The meeting included an update from the EC on the Legal Framework and Budget for the period 2021-2027, as well as information on the public consultations held among stakeholders from both countries and the progress in the development of the programme.