European Commission freezes part of Bulgaria’s recovery funds
Sofia, October 7 (Hibya) – The European Commission confirmed that it will suspend part of the second payment under Bulgaria’s Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP) until the country fulfills one of the key conditions – the reform of the Anti-Corruption Commission.
The amount in question has not been officially disclosed by Brussels, but Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister Tomislav Donchev previously stated that it was around 200 million euros.
Commission spokesperson Maciej Berestecki said that Bulgaria has received an official letter specifying the amount that will not be paid unless the condition related to the Anti-Corruption Commission is met. He added: “Bulgaria has one month to respond. If, at the end of this period, the Commission decides that the targets have not been achieved, the payment will be suspended for another six months.”
Berestecki firmly denied any link between this decision and the letter sent by the Renew Europe group to the European Commission concerning the arrest of Varna Mayor Blagomir Kotsev, who faces bribery charges.
He also rejected claims that the Commission’s assessment of Bulgaria’s RRP funds was influenced by political considerations, emphasizing: “These are entirely separate issues.”
British News Agency
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