site.btaMinistry of Regional Development and Public Works Redirects over Lv 60 Mln from EU Funds in Support of Refugees from Ukraine

The Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works will redirect more than 60 million leva, saved up from European funds, to support local authorities in the crisis with refugees from Ukraine, said Deputy Minister Deliana Ivanova at the 20th meeting of the monitoring committee of the Operational programme “Regions in Growth" 2014-2020, quoted by her Ministry on Wednesday.

The funds will be used under the new instrument of the European Commission, Cohesion's Action for Refugees in Europe (CARE). It will help the Member States to meet the challenges of the war in Ukraine. Its budget will be formed from saved funds under operational programmes and from unfulfilled European projects.

Sofia Alves, head of the Directorate General for Regional and Urban Policy at the European Commission noted that after the COVID-19 pandemic the EU is facing a new crisis and the consequences of the war in Ukraine. Bulgaria is one of the countries that accepts refugees and Alves expressed the support of the EC and its desire is to work with member states so unused funds and those who will not be used by the end of the programming period can be redirected in support of refugees and especially to the local authorities that receive them. The aim is to overcome the difficulties that Member States are experiencing at national, regional and local level, she explained, adding that this means that if funds are saved or projects are not implemented for some reason, the free resource should come together and be given priority for use in the current situation.