Bulgaria is close to completing almost all of the reforms required to secure the fifth payment under the European Union’s Recovery and Resilience Facility, worth €1.7 billion, Deputy Prime Minister Atanas Pekanov said on Sunday.
Pekanov said the government had also managed to preserve an additional €127 million under the Just Transition Plan after cancelling a procurement procedure that had raised suspicions of corruption.
He acknowledged that in May he had been concerned about the country’s progress, but said ministries had accelerated work over the past two months to complete outstanding projects and reforms.
According to Pekanov, Bulgaria has renegotiated reforms related to the Bulgarian Energy Holding and the water utility sector. However, he said one key obstacle remains after the Supreme Court failed this week to appoint the fifth member of the country’s Anti-Corruption Commission.
The commission’s full composition is one of the European Commission’s conditions for releasing the next tranche of recovery funds, he said.
Bulgaria has begun discussions with the European Commission in an effort to resolve the remaining issues before the Aug. 30 deadline.
Pekanov also warned that several investment projects, including energy-efficiency programmes and the renovation of schools and kindergartens, are unlikely to be completed on time because the deadlines are set by EU regulations and cannot be extended.