site.btaEuropean Commission: Bulgaria Has Made Credible Steps towards Implementing Recovery Plan Milestones

Asked about Bulgaria's request for a revision of the schedule of payments from the EU Budget, a European Commission spokesperson said on Monday Sofia has already made "credible steps to ensure the implementation" of Recovery and Resilience Plan milestones.

Earlier in April, the Bulgarian government approved a draft Act on Tackling Corruption of Public Office Holders, which could in principle address the suspension of payments under the Recovery and Resilience Plan, said the spokesperson.

He was referring to the April 16 approval of a bill drafted with a view to implementing the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) and the recommendations of the European Commission which has so far blocked the disbursement of the second and third payment under the NRRP, owing to an unsatisfactory implementation of the anti-corruption reform.

The spokesperson also said that earlier in April, Bulgaria submitted a request to revise its recovery plan, following exchanges with the Commission. The revision includes a proposal to postpone the deadlines for the implementation of two milestones.

The first milestone relates to the setting up of a politically independent anti-corruption body. According to the proposed revision, the implementation of this milestone would be moved from the second to the fourth payment request. The second milestone is about making this anti-corruption body operational and it would be moved from the third to the fifth payment request, said the spokesperson.

He added that the Commission will assess the revision and will make a proposal for the Council decision to reflect the changes in the Bulgarian Recovery Plan.