EU

These comments from the Bulgarian Civic Coalition for sustainable use of EU funds identifies problematic issues and discrepancies between transport policy documents at EU and Bulgarian level. It offers concrete suggestions to overcome those problems and to improve the decision making process of the Bulgaria Operational Programme for Transport for the period 2014-2020.

If implemented as currently planned, the road bypass of the town of Gabrovo, and the tunnel under the Shipka mountain - a project supported by EU funding - will harm a Natura 2000 zone and national biodiversity protected area. This briefing paper gives details on the project and calls on the European Commission to remind Bulgarian authorities of the need to allow for public participation and conduct an environmental assessment that takes alternatives into consideration.

The European Commission’s legislative proposals for the future EU Budget have made some promising changes but they are not ambitious enough to meet the level of current challenges. While CAP spending still needs a radical overhaul, the proposals on the other funds need to be strengthened to ensure leadership from the EU Budget that supports a sustainable and prosperous European economy and inspires all of Europe and the world.