EC INSPECTS THE ASSIMILATION OF EU MONEY IN BULGARIA

The European Commission announced yesterday that it had started an audit in Bulgaria for investigating possible infringements in the utilization of European Funds, by pointing out at the same time that it had not found any “serious problems” yet.

The EC spokesperson, Michael Mann, announced that the Audit Office with the Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development sent a letter to the Bulgarian authorities at the end of January. He clarified that “This is the first step of a procedure which could lead to something but it is too early to speak of sanctions now. We have not found any serious problems yet. Brussels expects Bulgaria to answer the questions which were put before the country within two months.

France Press reminded the announcement of the Minister of Agriculture and Food, Miroslav Naidenov, that EC may suspend the money for the Programme for Rural Development, which amounts to 3.2 billion EUR by the year 2013, if Bulgaria fails to obviate the omissions in the regulations and procedures enforced in the programme implementation, published BNA.