Properties in Bulgaria

Pre-accession assistance

The PHARE program finances mainly projects linked to the transposition of the acquis and institution buildings across all sectors. An increasing proportions of these projects is delivered by twinning (twinning provides the framework for administrations and semi-public organizations in the candidate countries to work with their counterparts in Member States in order to implement acquis communautaire).

PHARE also finances investment projects in the areas of cross-border cooperation and (since 2000) economic and social cohesion that are not covered by the ISPA and SAPARD instruments.

PHARE comes under the responsibility of the Directorate-General for Enlargement of the European Commission, which is also responsible for overall coordination of pre-accession assistance.

The ISPA program (which started in 2000) supports large scale of environmental and transport infrastructure projects. The ISPA programming framework is governed by environment and transport strategies drawn up by Bulgarians authorities and agreed with the European commission. ISPA comes under the responsibility of the Directorate-General for Regional Policy of the European Commission.

The SAPARD program (which started in 2000) supports development measures for the agriculture and rural areas. The SAPARD programming framework is governed by a multi-annual National Rural Development plan. SAPARD is under the responsibility of Directorate General of Agriculture.

The EU raised the amount of financial assistance to Bulgaria by an average of 30 % in the period 2004-2006. Bulgaria received by EUR 400 million per year reaching 2 % of its GDP. Under its mid 2004 agreement with the EU, Bulgaria received 240 million EUR on top of the previously announced funding 4.4 billion EUR from the EU's 2007-2009 budget.

The minister of Finance of Bulgaria is the National Aid Coordinator and ISPA coordinator. He exerts his power by:

• Organizing and carrying out the activities related to coordination, programming, management, monitoring and assessment of the financial aid provided to Bulgaria under the EU pre-accession financial instruments;
• Organizing and monitoring the efficient and law full management of the resources from the EU structural and Cohesion Funds in compliance with Bulgarian's policies for accession to the EU;
• Coordinating the joint monitoring mechanism for implementation of the programs funded by the pre accession instrument;

• The lifelong learning program 2007-2014;
• Erasmus Mundus 2004-2008;
• The new Culture Program2007-2013;
• Youth in action Program 2007-2013;
• Media Program 2007-2013;
• FP7 2007-2013;

• Europe for citizens program 2007-2013;
• Progress 2007-2013;

• Daphne 3;
• Program for Community Action in the field of Health 2007-2013;
• Consumer Program 2007-2013;
• Rural Development Policy 2007- 2013;
• Programs in the field of Information technologies
• IDABC 2005-2009;
• Safer Internet Plus Program 2005-2008;
• eContentplus Program 2005-2008;

• Fiscalis 2007-2013;
• Customs 2007-2013;
• Programs in the field of transport and environment
• The MARCO POLO 2 Program 2007-2013;
• Transeuropean Energy and Transport Networks 2007-2013;
• GALILEO 2007-2013;
• LIFE+ 2007-2013;

• Drugs prevention and information 2007-2013;
• Solidarity and Management of Migration flows2007-2013;