In 2007 Bulgaria would absorb only 10-15 per cent of the about 1 billion euro granted by EU funds under all operational programmes in the form of submitted projects, Kiril Jelyazkov, director of the Branch Structures directorate at the Bulgarian Industrial Association said, Bulgarian National Radio BNR reported.

He participated in a meeting with branch organisations on the creation of expert potential to help branch organisations in the preparation of projects under EU structural funds, BNR said.

The total amount of EU funds under all operational programmes that Bulgaria would get by 2013 was about 12 billion euro. This meant that Bulgaria would have to prepare nearly 7 000 projects, Jelyazkov said.

Businesses could rely mainly on funding of projects under Regional Development, Competitiveness, Human Resources Development and Administrative Capacity operational programmes, BNR reported.