EU granted Bulgaria 239.5 million euro for the period between 2007 and 2009 for projects and activities for the protection of external borders of the country, which are external borders of the Union as well.

Bulgaria’s EU accession treaty included a temporary financial mechanism for granting money, related to protection of EU's external borders, Bulgarian news agency BTA said.

The mechanism was in force since the date of Bulgaria’s accession to the union, January 1 2007 until the end of 2009.

It aimed at helping Bulgaria by funding specific steps for protection of the Union's external borders and by improving the flow of money to the national budget for EU borders’ protection.

The total amount of means granted to Bulgaria under that mechanism would reach 239.5 million euro. In 2007 and 2008 alone, the amount would be 180.9 million euro.

According to the accession treaty, Bulgaria has to use at least half of the money for activities related to external EU borders.