EU + renewed the financing of projects in the new member states
Adelina Marini, July 14, 2009
The countries of the so called EU + - Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein have announced that they will renew the financing of energy, social and democracy projects in the new member states, among which Bulgaria too. The scheme under which more than 1 bn euro will be paid is for 5 years and was interrupted because of suspicion for abuse with money and because of the need the list of countries that need this aid to be updated. In return for renewing the scheme, Norway will receive a permission by the Commission for bigger fish export quotas.
Poland will benefit most by the programme by receiving almost half a billion euro, followed by Hungary with 127.4 mn euro, the Czech Republic with 104 mn and Romania with 91 mn euro, the EUobserver reports. The EUobserver does not say how much money Bulgaria would get.
Money can be administered directly by an NGO or by an office within the national government. In the next five years, the NGO model is likely to become stronger.
The three countries will be much more vigilant on how their money is being spent. National governments will be responsible for the distribution of the money but there will be additional audits and visits to projects worth more than 2 mn euro and where risk factors appear.