Bulgaria could benefit from EU funding totaling EUR 7.6 B in the 2014-2020 programming period, according to EU Regional Policy Commissioner Corina Cretu.

Speaking Monday in Bulgaria’s Danube city of Ruse, she drew attention to the fact that a total of EUR 250 M had been earmarked for cross-border cooperation projects in the 2014-2020 programming period.

Cretu, as cited by the BGNES news agency, suggested that improving navigation conditions along the Danube was one area in which Bulgaria and Romania could cooperate.

On Sunday Cretu met with Bulgaria’s Deputy Prime Minister Tomislav Donchev.

The two attended the official opening of the Tutrakan Boulevard in Ruse, which had been repaired with funding provided under the cross-border cooperation program between Bulgaria and Romania.

Donchev said that by the end of the year Bulgaria had to report to the European Commission that it had paid EUR 2 B to beneficiaries under EU projects.

Commenting on Bulgaria’s performance in the 2007-2013 programming period, he underscored that there was no EU Member State that had managed to pay 100% of the funding it had been granted in its first programming period.

On Tuesday Cretu will meet with Bulgaria’s Prime Minister Boyko Borisov in Sofia to discuss current affairs and new opportunities for achieving cohesion, as well as possible reforms that could be implemented in the new programming period.