THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROGRAMME DEPENDS ON THE EFFORTS OF ALL STAKEHOLDERS

It is necessary to make a conservative estimate of what can be done in the current programme period and to decide on the financing of the implementation of the activities concerned in the following period. This is what Galina Vasileva, Head of the Managing Authority of the OP Transport and Transport Infrastructure OP 2014-2020, has said at the meeting of the Monitoring Committee of the programme held on  25-26th of November in Bansko.

Just over BGN 3 billion or nearly 84 % of the financial resource under OPTTI 2014-2020 has been negotiated, clarified eng. Vasileva, adding that 36 % of the programme’s budget had been paid up, 30 % had been verified and 28 % had been certified.

The programme is in a critical period of implementation, following the final conclusion of the appeals for the tenders for the projects in the railway sector, as well as in the case of approval of the application form and signature of the contracts with the contractors of the construction of Struma motorway, Lot 3.2, a more serious implementation rate can be expected from the Cohesion Fund. The implementation of these projects is essential for the successful implementation of the programme in its original form.

A proposal for reprogramming has been made, as the reserve of 6 % of the budget of the two priority axes would be redirected to the other axes of the Operational Programme, which have a better achievement of the intermediate objectives. The proposal should be approved by the services of the European Commission and it is expected this to happen by the end of the year.

Indicative annual work programme for 2020 has been adopted unanimously by the members of the monitoring committee. The implementation of all projects launched related to railway rehabilitation, signalling and telecommunications, construction of new roads, reception and handling of waste in Bulgarian ports, innovative traffic management systems and the supply of multifunctional vessels continued.

A version of the future "Transport Connectivity" Programme 2021-2027 is under development: eng. Vassileva has informed the participants at the event. In the next programming period, investments should focus primarily on completing the priority rail and road tracks, promoting multimodal transport by improving the connections between modes, connectivity and environmental protection.