Finance Minister Plamen Oresharski and Agriculture and Forestry Minister Nihat Kabil signed today the seventh agreement on the SAPARD programme between Bulgaria and the European Commission. It changes the financial agreement accepted in 2004. The new settlement increases the EU financial responsibility towards Bulgaria to slightly over 68 million euro.
Bulgaria works on SAPARD projects since the middle of 2001. With the signing of the new agreement, the sum paid for all concluded financial transaction on the SAPARD programme will exceed 286 million euro. In addition to the EU financial engagement, Bulgaria is responsible for the provision of 25 per cent of the total financial aid received from the programme.  The signing of a second agreement is an important indication of Bulgaria's willingness to increase the investment in the agriculture and regional development spheres, the Bulgarian National Radio reported.