The European Commission is to present Wednesday two monitoring reports over the progress of Bulgaria in the judicial sphere and absorption of EU funding. File photo
The European Commission is to present Wednesday two monitoring reports over the progress of Bulgaria in the judicial sphere and absorption of EU funding, expected to contain some of the harshest criticism towards the country since its accession into the bloc.
It is expected that the EC is to strip of accreditation two Bulgarian PHARE implementing agencies. These are the Central Finance and Contracts Unit within the Ministry of Finance and the PHARE agency within the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works.
Thus, the EC is going to deprive the agencies of their right to allocate program funding that equals to some EUR 600 M.
In what is believed to be a copy of the final draft of Brussels's report, spread by the Bulgarian National Television, the Commission also states that Bulgaria has achieved some progress in civic and administrative suits, but not in the criminal ones.
The EC points out the reforms in the Interior Ministry are critically important, including the need to invest more in training and salaries of police officers and officials.
With respect to the combating of organized crime and money laundering, the Commission says that there had been very little progress.
As institutions await the final report, Bulgaria's opposition prepares to file Wednesday the sixth no confidence vote against the three-way ruling coalition over its failure in adhering to the rules of the EU and in the absorption of EU funds.
More than 80 MPs have signed the demand on the vote, including representatives of the right-wing parties and 13 independent members of the parliament.