site.btaNational Association of Municipalities in Bulgaria Calls for Legislative Changes Concerning EU Projects' Financial Burden

National Association of Municipalities in Bulgaria Calls for Legislative Changes Concerning EU Projects' Financial Burden

Plovdiv, South Central Bulgaria, September 30 (BTA) - The
National Association of Municipalities in the Republic of
Bulgaria (NAMRB) calls for immediate changes to the regulatory
framework, which regulates the distribution of the financial
burden under EU projects. NAMRB will submit the proposals for
the legal amendments to caretaker Deputy Prime Minister in
charge of EU funds, Iliana Tsanova, as well as to working groups
which the Association is part of, NAMRB Executive Director
Ginka Chavdarova told BTA on Tuesday.

The reason behind this is that hundreds of municipal mayors are
discontented with the imposed financial corrections of EU
projects, NAMRB explained. Over 80 per cent of the corrections
are made up - unfair and purely subjective, aiming to save the
State from having to pay its mandatory co-financing and transfer
the burden to municipalities, affected mayors from the region
of Plovdiv told BTA. They recalled that usually the EU provides
70 per cent of projects's funding, the State participates with
25 per cent and the remaining 5 per cent are covered by
municipalities.

NAMRB demands justice and urges the State to assume its
responsibility. Among the complaints listed by the Association
are financial corrections imposed because of the lack of
synchronization between national and EU legislation, regulations
containing contradicting provisions, the compliance with
requirements which are later deemed to be infringements,
introducing new rules retroactively, contradicting
interpretations by auditing and controlling bodies, the national
bodies artificially introducing rules and requirements, which
have been successfully challenged before the Bulgarian courts
and competent institutions.

NAMRB find it paradoxical that as beneficiaries, municipalities
are required to meet all requirements imposed by the managing
and certifying bodies and coordinate their decisions with them,
but in the end are the sole bearers of the imposed financial
corrections. No such model is being applied anywhere in the EU,
NAMRB says.

The Association demands that each institution, responsible for
EU funds management, takes responsibility for both the good and
the bad consequences of their actions, or lack thereof.
According to NAMRB, immediate changes to the regulatory
framework are needed, which clearly distribute responsibilities
and establish universal rules.