The Council of Ministers approved the drafts of two operational programs that will be implemented in the 2014-2020 period, namely OP Innovation and Competitiveness and OP Transport and Transport Infrastructure. Portfolio Ministers are authorized to submit the two programs to the European Commission for final approval.
The main objective of OP Innovation and Competitiveness is achieving a dynamic and competitive economy through innovation, entrepreneurship, the capacity for growth of small and medium enterprises, energy and resource efficiency of enterprises.
OP Innovation and Competitiveness envisages interventions in five priority axes:
- Technological Development and Innovation, with a budget of EUR 295,282,552;
- Entrepreneurship and Capacity for Growth, with a budget of EUR 697,492,049;
- Energy and Resource Efficiency, with a budget of EUR 310,686,632;
- Removing obstacles to gas supply security, with a budget of EUR 45 million;
- Technical assistance, with a budget of EUR 41,674,668.
The focus of the first two priority axes is placed on two complementary aspects - accelerating the pace of growth and supporting the development of innovation. The third priority axis also refers to two interrelated aspects (resource productivity and energy efficiency of enterprises), which are the basis of sustainable growth. Priority axis four - Removing obstacles to gas supply security - supports the key priorities of the Bulgarian energy policy, aimed at ensuring energy security, diversification of energy sources and routes, energy efficiency, liberalized energy market and protection of consumer rights.
The operational program will provide nearly EUR 1.39 billion (EU and national funding) and is the main program document at the national level outlining support for Bulgarian business from European Structural and Investment Funds 2014-2020
The implementation of projects for the development of the transport system, which contribute to the effective connectivity of the transport network, will be continued through the second operational program - Transport and Transport Infrastructure. It has been prepared in accordance with the requirements for the programming period and is consistent with the main strategic documents in the field of transport, as well as with the position of the European Commission.
The program has a budget of EUR 1,887,587,256, of which EUR 1,604,449,168 from the Cohesion Fund and the European Regional Development Fund, and EUR 283,138,088 from national co-financing.
OP Transport and Transport Infrastructure includes the following priority axes:
- Development of railway infrastructure along the main and extended Trans-European Transport Network;
- Development of road infrastructure along the major trans-European transport network;
- Improving the intermodality of passenger and cargo transport, and the development of sustainable urban transport;
- Innovation management and services - implementation of modernized infrastructure for traffic management, improving transport safety and security (projects for the development of information systems in different modes of transport);
- Technical assistance.
Among the major projects to be completed in the new programming period are concluding the modernization of railway stretches Plovdiv-Burgas and Sofia – Plovdiv, Struma highway, and the ongoing expansion of the subway in Sofia.