Bulgaria signed on Tuesday two operational programmes with the EU, under which the country will receive EUR 3,1 B in funding for the 2007-2013 period.

The European Commission approved the transport and environment operational programmes for Bulgaria earlier this month.

The operational programmes involve community support for the whole national territory within the framework of the convergence objective, the EU said in a statement.

The goal of the environment programme is to have 65 new or rehabilitated wastewater treatment plants serving an additional 1,85 million people, and 22 integrated waste management systems serving an additional 3,5 million people.

Another priority is the conservation of biological diversity, natural habitats, wild species of fauna and flora as well as the efficient management of protected areas.

The water and wastewater infrastructure will receive the biggest chunk of funding, with the EU allocating EUR 1,03 B to that end, which will be complemented with EUR 256,8 M in national co-funding.

In total, Bulgaria will receive EUR 1,47 B under the environment operational programme and will have to contribute EUR 334,3 M in co-funding.

Under the transport programme, the country stands to get EUR 1,63 B, with public financing reaching EUR 379 M.

Bulgaria will receive EUR 791,7 M for road infrastructure, focusing on the construction of new and the rehabilitation of existing motorways of nation-wide and EU importance, such as the upgrade of the Vratza-Botevgrad road, the Struma Motorway and the Maritza Motorway.

Railways infrastructure will receive EUR 464 M, focusing on the renewal of stretches of the Vidin-Sofia, Sofia-Pernik-Radomir, Sofia-Dragoman, Sofia-Plodiv, Mezdra-Gorna Orjahovica and Plovdiv-Burgas railway lines, as well as the reconstruction of the Svilengrad -Turkish border line.

Inter-modal facilities for passenger and freight transport will receive EUR 179,4 M and another EUR 133,3 M were allocated for maritime and waterways transport, where the main priority is setting up a vessel traffic management and information system.

The country, which joined the EU in January, will also receive EUR 95,6 M in technical assistance under the two programmes.

The memorandums were signed by regional policy commissioner Danuta Huebner, transport minister Petar Mutafchiev and environment minister Dzhevdet Chakarov in Brussels.

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