site.btaBulgaria to Receive EUR 55 Mln under REACT-EU 55 to Achieve Sustainable Economic Recovery 

Germany, Slovakia and Bulgaria will receive an additional EUR 111.5 million through REACT-EU under the European Social Fund (ESF) to help workers and jobseekers, support healthcare services and achieve a sustainable socio-economic recovery, the European Commission reported Monday.

In Bulgaria, EUR 18.6 million will cover basic needs, such as food, of vulnerable groups. Vouchers will also be distributed to people who have fled Russia's invasion of Ukraine that can be exchanged for food and everyday necessities, such as clothing and school supplies for children. In addition, EUR 36.4 million will be allocated for post-pandemic recovery measures aimed at job retention and improvement of care services for persons with disabilities. Out of these, EUR 23.8 million will support the 'Solidarity project' that helps 9,000 people fleeing the Russia's invasion of Ukraine to integrate into the Bulgarian labour market by, among others, offering psychological support, career guidance and employment counselling.

The 2021 tranche of REACT-EU had allocated EUR 40 billion to help Member States recovering from the pandemic, investing in the digital and green transition and now hosting and integrating people fleeing the war in Ukraine. In addition, the Commission has paid EUR 3.5 billion of pre-financing payments to Member States under REACT-EU since March 2022.

The most recent comprehensive package 'Flexible Assistance to Territories (FAST-CARE)', proposed by the Commission, further extends the support to Member States by offering additional flexibility in Cohesion Policy funding while also increasing pre-financing payments by an additional EUR 3.5 billion to be paid in 2022 and 2023. The final date of eligibility for REACT-EU expenditures is 31 December 2023.