Fighting corruption and fraud with EU funds remains a challenge for Europe, indicates the first report of the European Commission for the fight with corruption in the EU since February this year. It affects all 28 member states without exception and incurs an annual loss of 120 billion euro to their economies. The Commission therefore declared the fight against this phenomenon a priority of the next programming period 2014-2020 onwards. So far, this was considered a problem only in Bulgaria and Romania and these two countries are being monitored by the EC under the Verification and Cooperation Mechanism in the field of Justice and Home Affairs since their accession to the EU in 2007.

Bulgaria will receive nearly 15 billion euro over the next seven years. And just this year 1.8 billion euro will enter the Bulgarian economy. This was pointed out by Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Minister Zinaida Zlatanova during a seminar of the European Commission in Sofia on the measures against corruption and fraud with money from the structural and investment funds. This is the third seminar of the European Commission held in EU countries on this sensitive topic, following the seminars in Slovakia and the Czech Republic. The aim is to get better acquainted with the new package of legislation in this area. It includes three new procurement directives – the area most vulnerable to corruption and fraud, and it is soon expected to enter into force. Member states will have two years to transpose it into their national legislation.

According to Deputy PM Zlatanova, Bulgaria lays the emphasis in its strategy for countering fraud and corruption on the maximum transparency of procedures, effective implementation of the new EU regulations regarding structural and investment funds in 2020, and legislative reforms to better control and interact with European partners. Fighting corruption and fraud with EU funds remains a priority for Bulgaria and Europe, she said. And more:

"The misuse of European funds is a particularly sensitive issue for countries like Bulgaria. The need for consistent and effective control over the correct spending of European solidarity is conditioned by the fact that in times of economic crisis, it is crucial for regional development, business competitiveness, improvement working conditions and education and boosting employment."

"I am here to express a clear message that the EC has zero tolerance for fraud and corruption. But also that Bulgaria is not alone in fighting them. Bulgaria will receive technical assistance from the EC via external experts," said Director-General of the Regional and urban policy DG at the EC, Walter Deffaa. In his words:

"The data for Bulgaria show that nearly seventy percent of public investment come from EU funds. That is, they are very important for the country. The stakes are very high. Overall, the EU is losing over 120 billion euro annually because of corruption and fraud. Corruption is a huge problem. But it destroys the confidence of citizens and businesses in the EU. This is very important. Because it is not just about money. This is a question of risk and confidence", he stressed.

Mr. Deffaa stressed that he would be offering us guidance on how to assess the risk of fraud, how to identify fraudulent documents, etc. He approved the emphasis in Bulgaria's strategy for combating corruption and fraud in 2020 for more transparency, stressing that it will pay off by more confidence on the part of Bulgarians and Bulgarian companies.

English version: Rossitsa Petcova