BRUSSELS – The European Commission (EC) has selected 134 projects, including six with Bulgarian participation, which will receive a total of over seven billion euros in EU grants under the Connecting Europe Facility – the EU’s strategic investment tool for infrastructure. This is the largest call for proposals under the current “Transport” program of the mechanism, the EC announced.
Bulgaria is expected to receive funding for a total of six projects – three national and three multinational, with Bulgarian participation. Over 26.7 million euros are foreseen for a project to create six new safe and secure truck parking zones, meeting gold and platinum security level requirements, with 426 parking spaces for heavy-duty vehicles at four key locations of the TEN-T network in Bulgaria and near urban areas and highways.
The second major national project amounting to nearly 12.5 million euros is for the modernization of the railway network’s electrical system near the border with Romania. The third project for over nine million euros provides for the construction of new railway lines at the Port of Burgas.
The Bulgarian Ministry of Transport and Communications specified that the EC has also approved the joint Bulgarian-Romanian project for improving navigation on the Danube River. The total value of this project is almost 112 million euros, of which 95 million euros are European funds.
At the beginning of the week, the Bulgarian Development Bank and the EC signed an agreement to issue a guarantee under the EU Invest EU program for 40 million euros. The funds will be used for the development of small and medium-sized businesses in Bulgaria. (July 17)