Bulgaria, Macedonia to Benefit from EUR 17 M in EU Funds under Cross-Border Program

The European Commission approved on Wednesday the Bulgaria-Macedonia Cross-Border Cooperation Programme.
In Bulgaria the program is managed by the Regional Development Ministry.

The Interreg IPA CBC programme covers 2 border regions in Bulgaria and 3 regions in Macedonia. It is worth more than EUR19 million with a contribution of nearly EUR 17 million from the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA).

85% of the resources under the program are provided by the EU and the remaining 15% share is supplied by national co-financing from the two countries.

The Bulgarian regions included in the program are the districts of Blagoevgrad and Kyustendil.

The first call for proposals is to be published in early September 2015, according to reports of the BGNES news agency.

The new Interreg-IPA Bulgaria - Macedonia cross-border programme focuses on measures aiming at mitigating the effects of climate change and at addressing issues related to the conservation of nature and biodiversity, the sustainable use of natural resources, environmental protection and risk management at cross-border level, according to the press office of the EC.

A key focus of the programme is also put on the protection of the natural and cultural heritage sites in the region.

The funding provided under the Interreg IPA CBC programme will help enhance the competitiveness of SMEs and facilitate their access to new markets.

Corina Cretu, Commissioner for Regional Policy, welcomed the adoption of the programme, adding that by cooperating on environment, tourism and SME competitiveness, the region could increase its attractiveness for tourists and investors.