Pawel Samecki, EU Commissioner for Regional Policy, will again visit Bulgaria to inspect EU-funded projects on Thursday and Friday.

The Commissioner will visit the north east and south east regions of the country, to view at first hand how the EU’s cohesion policy is helping to improve citizens’ way of life, and providing support for local businesses.

He will visit the Black Sea cities of Burgas and Varna, to inspect a number of EU-funded projects, including educational, environmental and social developments.

Samecki will be accompanied by Bulgaria’s Minister for Regional Developments and Public Works, Rosen Plevneliev, and Nona Karadzhova, Minister of Environment and Water.

Before leaving for Bulgaria, Regional Commissioner stated that: “Between 2007 and 2013, Bulgaria will benefit from EUR 9 B in EU investment for economic, social and rural development. Cities like Varna and Burgas can use this support to become growth-engines for their areas and for the surrounding regions.”

In Burgas, Samecki will meet Mayor Dimitar Nikolov and other civic representatives, before visiting a new Cultural Youth Center that employs almost 60 people, and is used by a number of social groups, including children from the Roma minority. The project is part of a program to improve cultural infrastructure in the municipality.

He will also discuss the progress of other infrastructure projects, including plans for renovation of a kindergarten and primary school, the household sewage project in Dolno Ezerovo, to which the EU has contributed EUR 2,7 M, and the improvement of the municipal road network.

In Varna, he is scheduled to meet local businessmen and municipal councilors. His interest here is to discover how relatively small community investments can make a difference to local companies, especially in terms of competitiveness.

Accordingly, he will visit two local plants that have recently expanded their operations with small EU grants. To date, a quarter of the funding earmarked for the region – EUR 1 B – has already been allocated. The Commissioner is expected to stress the need for effective financial controls and close monitoring of projects, so that the EU investment can produce the best possible results.

This is the second visit by Pawel Samecki in just over a month. In late October, he visited the south west and north central regions of Bulgaria, where he toured the Sofia Metro and inspected the construction of the Lyulin Highway, before visiting businesses and schools in the Gabrovo region.

Explaining his reasons for visiting Bulgaria, Regional Commissioner Samecki said: “I am looking forward to seeing what has already been achieved on the ground and to finding out more about planned and new developments.”