Bulgaria is set to lose nearly 15 % of EU funds which were available for absorption under some operational programmes during the 2007-2013 programme period.

The government has paid more than EUR 2.2 B from the country's budget resources, which are still to be reimbursed by the European Commission.

However there is a likelihood that Bulgaria will not be reimbursed the whole sum if some of the expenditures are not acknowledged due to infringements.

The data, which is provided by the single information web portal on the management of the EU funds, shows the absorption rate as of October 30.

The largest share of resources from the budget were allocated to projects under the Environment Operational Programme.

Payments under this programme were frozen twice due to infringements in the public procurement procedures.

A total of 99.48 % or EUR 1.7 B were provided by taxpayers' money, with the Commission having acknowledged only EUR 977 M of the expenditures.

The opposite trend is visible in the Human Resources Operational Programme, with 95 % of the funds or EUR 980 M coming from Europe.

The absorption of EU funds under the 2007-2013 programme period will finally stop at the end of this year.

The share of absorped funds and the losses suffered by Bulgaria will become clear in the first months of next year.

According to data of the Commission, 81.83 % of the country's expenditures under the operational programmes have been acknowledged.

The absorption rate ranks Bulgaria 24^th out of 28 member states.