The PHARE Managing Committee in Brussels approved the financial draft under PHARE National Programme 2005 Part III
- programme for the recovery from the damages caused by the floods in Bulgaria. It amounts to EUR 12,3 m. The funds are granted by the European Commission in relation to the Bulgarian government's request for assistance on the part of the EU within the PHARE Programme and the Solidarity Fund.
The sum of EUR 12,3 m will be channeled into two projects, developed by the Bulgarian administration, based on the assessment of flood damages and the conclusions of the EC expert mission, held from 26 to 29 July 2005.
The first project - grant scheme for the recovery from the floods, is of EUR 9,150 m total value, and will be co-funded by the state budget with EUR 3 m. The scheme will directly assist local authorities and public organizations in the recovery of transport infrastructure - roads, bridges, railways; environmental protection technical facilities - embankments, water supply and sewerage systems; and public infrastructure - schools, nurseries and medical centres.
The second projects, Sustainable Crisis Management on Local and Central Level, is intended to strengthen the capacity of newly established Ministry of Disaster Management Policy and the Civil Protection Agency in the prevention and management of crises and natural disasters. The planned beneficiaries of the project are local authorities, through the National Association of Municipalities in the Republic of Bulgaria and the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. Within the investments under the project there will be a centrelised system of forecasting natural disasters. Another major result will be the development of a programme for academic training in crisis management. The PHARE funding under this project amounts to EUR 3,150 m.