27/09/10
According to Monika Panayotova one of the guidelines of the Bulgarian European policy is targeted towards adopting the National Parliament to the requirements of the Lisbon Treaty.
The Bulgarian Parliament sets its priorities in its European policy based on the strategy “Europe 2020”. This is the fundamental document of the European Union, in which the views are set for the future of the member countries, the main objectives of the common European policy and the ways by which they will be achieved. In an interview for Radio Bulgaria the Chairperson of the Committee on European Affairs and Oversight of the European Funds in the National Assembly Monika Panayotova said, that the Bulgarian European policy is realised in two directions:
“One is connected with the adaptation of the National Bulgarian Parliament to the requirements of the Lisbon Treaty – she pointed. After its adaptation on /the 1st of December 2009/ our role as a national parliament is very important. In reality the acts of the EU will come from the EC directly in the national and they can in the frame of 8 weeks issue a standpoint, if they have remarks on them. After this has been cleared, these acts will go to the EP. This is why our role here is very important, to have the needed capacity, to meet these expectations. The question is also connected with the important bilateral parliamentary cooperation between members of national parliaments in the EU, in order for the particular standpoint of the national parliament to have support on a particular bill on European level.
The other line is connected with the priorities of Bulgaria in the context of the European strategy – energy, regional development and agriculture. In these areas is expected steady, intelligent and inclusive growth. It will be realised mandatory after consultations with representatives of non-government, employer and syndicate organisations. In the committee for European questions in the National Assembly, there is a specially created commission for this public debate. The work, which is ahead of us, is to start discussions for the new operative programs of the EU for the period 2014-2020”.
What is new in these programs?
“In the previous planning of operative programs in Bulgaria, a disadvantage was that they had tried to cover all portfolios. In this approach the results are not so tangible, because the financial support is used on almost all directions – from infrastructure to ecology, from administrative capacity to human resources and etc. According to me the correct way is to evaluate clearly which will be the priorities for the use of the European resources. If this will be infrastructure, education, competitiveness of the business environment or other, but they need to be fixed, so that the resources can be concentrated in these targets. The other important moments is when money is used in the current operative programs, as well as the following on the next from the new operative period, to have an integrated approach and synergy effect between them. Not to view separately every operative programme, but to that they complement each other. This is one of the proposals of the committee to the executive organs here. In this connection till the end of January the upcoming year we need to prepare a year report of the absorbed European funds in Bulgaria”.
It is known that in terms of absorption of European money our country has a delay of three years. The percent of invested money in specific projects is very small, but the opportunities are great. Since the beginning of this year the process was accelerated with easing the procedures, with control on the spent resources and things have gone in a good direction, also pointed Panayotova. With what can the parliament engage with its legislative work in this direction?
“This, which we have set as a priority in the National Assembly is the creation of a Law for the European Funds – she underlined. – In the moment there is an ordered research for how this sphere is regulated in the different member countries, so that we can borrow the good practices. The target is to have separate secondary acts, and a complete law to increase the control, to ease the procedures and the process as a whole.
From 2011 in 28 regions of the country information centers will start. There the beneficiaries, mainly the municipalities, will have direct access to information for the European funds and the ways to candidate for them. The online system also gives a chance for better information and transparency. The correct steps are made, but for their effect, we will have to wait”.
No comments:
Post a Comment