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Sat, May 26 2012
Romania, Bulgaria to ask for EC extension on Danube Bridge 2 funds
About 42 per cent of the bridge and 30 per cent of the adjacent infrastructure have been completed, Borissov was quoted as saying.
Photo: Nadezhda Chipeva
Bulgaria and Romania plan to ask the European Commission to extend by one year the deadline for the utilisation of pre-accession funds for the construction of the second bridge over the Danube between the two countries, it emerged on February 26.
Bulgarian Prime Minister Boiko Borissov and his Romanian counterpart, Emil Boc, visited the construction site to inspect progress. Danube Bridge 2, between Vidin in Bulgaria and Calafat in Romania, was initially scheduled to be completed by the end of 2010.
Numerous delays, caused by the geological conditions and Romanian authorities' protracted procedures for granting approvals for access to land required for the project, have pushed the completion date to 2011.
The two heads of government said that they sent a joint request to European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso to extend the deadline for utilising the 70 million euro granted under the Ispa pre-accession aid programme to December 31 2011.
"I hope that Barroso will take into account that we are new governments and have no fault for the delay of the project. Our ambition is to use every last euro," Bulgarian daily Dnevnik quoted Borissov as saying.
Funds allocated under Ispa in 2000/06 have to be used by the end of 2010.
According to Romanian media, however, the deadline extension request covered 100 million euro, to include funding allocated to Danube Bridge 2 and several other infrastructure projects in Romania.
"We are counting on a favourable answer from the EU because that would allow us to efficiently use the resources that the EU has made available," Romanian news agency NewsIn quoted Boc as saying.
Other joint projects discussed by Borissov and Boc included the construction of two more bridges over the Danube and two hydro-power plants on the Danube River, suggested by Bulgaria. Romania's offer was for a joint hydro-power plant in another location. Talks on the expert level were expected to continue, Dnevnik said.
On Bulgaria's plans to build a second nuclear power station at Belene on the Danube River, Boc said: "Let the experts give their opinion and then we will make our political decision known." The project has come under intense criticism from conservation groups, who have branded it unsafe for the environment.
The two prime ministers signed memorandums of understanding concerning the implementation of trans-border co-operation programmes, worth 260 million euro for the period 2007/13.
However, no progress was made on the issue of cancelling the fees paid by cars crossing the first bridge between the two countries over the Danube River, which links Rousse in Bulgaria to Giurgiu in Romania.
Bulgarian Prime Minister Boiko Borissov and his Romanian counterpart, Emil Boc, visited the construction site to inspect progress. Danube Bridge 2, between Vidin in Bulgaria and Calafat in Romania, was initially scheduled to be completed by the end of 2010.
Numerous delays, caused by the geological conditions and Romanian authorities' protracted procedures for granting approvals for access to land required for the project, have pushed the completion date to 2011.
The two heads of government said that they sent a joint request to European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso to extend the deadline for utilising the 70 million euro granted under the Ispa pre-accession aid programme to December 31 2011.
"I hope that Barroso will take into account that we are new governments and have no fault for the delay of the project. Our ambition is to use every last euro," Bulgarian daily Dnevnik quoted Borissov as saying.
Funds allocated under Ispa in 2000/06 have to be used by the end of 2010.
According to Romanian media, however, the deadline extension request covered 100 million euro, to include funding allocated to Danube Bridge 2 and several other infrastructure projects in Romania.
"We are counting on a favourable answer from the EU because that would allow us to efficiently use the resources that the EU has made available," Romanian news agency NewsIn quoted Boc as saying.
Other joint projects discussed by Borissov and Boc included the construction of two more bridges over the Danube and two hydro-power plants on the Danube River, suggested by Bulgaria. Romania's offer was for a joint hydro-power plant in another location. Talks on the expert level were expected to continue, Dnevnik said.
On Bulgaria's plans to build a second nuclear power station at Belene on the Danube River, Boc said: "Let the experts give their opinion and then we will make our political decision known." The project has come under intense criticism from conservation groups, who have branded it unsafe for the environment.
The two prime ministers signed memorandums of understanding concerning the implementation of trans-border co-operation programmes, worth 260 million euro for the period 2007/13.
However, no progress was made on the issue of cancelling the fees paid by cars crossing the first bridge between the two countries over the Danube River, which links Rousse in Bulgaria to Giurgiu in Romania.
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Appointments
Employment Agency
Kamelia Lozanova has been appointed the executive director of the Employment Agency, a position she has held ad interim since September 2011, following the resignation of her predecessor Rossitsa Stelianova. Prior to that, Lozanova was the agency's deputy executive director in charge of international projects and European programmes. She has been with the agency for more than 20 years. Lozanova has a degree in Slavonic philology from the St Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia.
Uniqa
Gloria Dimitrova has been appointed executive director and member of the managing board at Uniqa Life Insurance Bulgaria. Dimitrova began her career in 1998 at the insurance supervision directorate, but moved to the private sector and worked for professional services and insurance brokerage firm Marsh&McLennan and US insurer AIG, both in Bulgaria and the Middle East. She joined Uniqa as regional director for Sofia in 2010. Dimitrova has a degree in economics from the University for National and World Economy in Sofia and a master's degree in insurance from the Business Academy in Svishtov.
Kamenitza
Yassen Lyubenov is the new head of marketing at Bulgarian beer brewer Kamenitza. Lyubenov has 12 years of experience in marketing in the fast-moving consumer goods sector and has started his career as assistant brand manager at Kraft Foods Bulgaria. He later became brand manager at Wrigley Bulgaria, with responsibilities for Bulgaria and Macedonia. Prior to joining Kamenitza, he was senior marketing manager at Wrigley Russia, where he was in charge of brand expansion into Ukraine, Belarus, Central Asia and the Caucasus. Lyubenov has a bachelor's degree in international business administration from the University of Lincoln, UK.
Beiersdorf
Bedros Kalfayan, general manager of skin care and cosmetics company Beiersdorf Bulgaria, will oversee the parent's company units in Romania and Moldova starting April 1. Following company restructuring, Beiersdorf's subsidiaries in the three countries were merged and are now one unit, part of Beiersdorf Central and Eastern Europe. Kalfayan joined Beiersdorf in 2007 as sales manager and was promoted to general manager in 2008. Prior to that, he worked for Axxon Bulgaria, Ferrero and Rubella. Kalfayan has a master's degree in industrial management from the Technical University in Sofia.
Hewlett-Packard
Sasha Bezuhanova has been appointed Hewlett-Packard public sector director for emerging markets, where she will oversee HP public sector activities in 63 countries, including Bulgaria. Bezuhanova will also be in charge of HP's relations with the European Union. Bezuhanova has been HP's public sector director for Central and Eastern Europe since 2008; before that she was general manager of HP Bulgaria since 1998. Bezuhanova has a master's degree in electronics from the Technical University in Sofia and has completed a managment programme at INSEAD.
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It is time the EEC to keep their promises and start paying. Bulgaria still is paying more than it receives it is absurd. So what if some money leaks away. I think it is in every country the same. In Bulgaria it is just less covered.