The Sofia metro project is a good practice example in terms of timely and efficient implementation, according to a letter sent to the Sofia City Hall by the European Commission's Director General for Regional Policy, Dirk Ahner.

"During my visit to Sofia, I was pleased to witness the good progress made on the works of the Sofia metro project... Sofia is a growing city with growing needs, and I am content that in the context of the recent programming of funds within the Transport Operational Programme, we were able to find additional funds for urban transport, allowing the EU budget to co-finance a second metro extension as well as an extension of the tramway network," Ahner writes.

The letter also informs that regarding the Sofia waste, the Commission's decision on the first stage of the project, i.e. the landfill and the composting plant should be ready soon while it would also be possible to speed up the implementation of the investment into the ex-ISPA Sofia water project with a view to absorbing the available budget.

The letter further touches on the possibility, discussed during Ahner's visit, of financing a major research facility in Sofia, with one or two strategic areas in order to boast the competitiveness of Bulgaria and to put Sofia back on the international research map. The above measure will necessitate a strong cooperation between the Ministries of Economy and of Education, the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, BA, the top capital universities and the City Hall.

Ahner points out his high appreciation for the level of the above described ambition, which is entirely in line with the European Union's 2020 goals, and promises the full cooperation of the Commission services.

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