I am convinced that the only way to develop an effective monitoring mechanism for the EU pre-accession instruments and, subsequently, for the Structural and the Cohesion Fund is to involve non-governmental organisations in the process

I am convinced that the only way to develop an effective monitoring mechanism for the EU pre-accession instruments and, subsequently, for the Structural and the Cohesion Fund is to involve non-governmental organisations in the process, said Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Valentin Tserovski after his meeting with Dr. Zhelyazko Hristov, Leader of the Confederation of Free Trades Unions in Bulgaria (CFTUB), Dr. Konstantin Trenchev, Leader of the Podkrepa Confederation of Labour, and Mr. Simeon Peshov, President of the Bulgarian Construction Chamber. The leaders of the branch associations of regional development and public works within each of the two trades unions also took part in the meeting. Now is the right time, emphasised Valentin Tserovski, to involve non-governmental organisations as we are entering the third phase of contracting under the EU/PHARE programme, which is expected to absorb some 98 per cent of the available funds. By the end of this year, the unions will designate their representatives to the regional monitoring structures. The appropriate selection criteria will be developed shortly and the selected representatives will receive special training. Minister Tserovski has put a European foot forward by involving the social partners in the monitoring process, stated the CFTUB Leader, and Dr. Trenchev pointed out that Podkrepa accepted the Minister’s idea with a great deal of satisfaction as it would go a long way to increase transparency and reduce corruption. This is a signal, added Dr. Trenchev, for the other Government Ministries which manage EU funds, such as the Ministry of the Environment and Water, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and the Ministry of the Economy, to adopt such practices. Public Relations and International Cooperation Directorate