In the coming 10 year 30 065 Roma houses will be constructed in Bulgaria and more than 47 000 constructions will be renovated.

Today the Parliament approved the national strategy for improving the living conditions of the Roma minority, the Bulgarian National Radio reported.

The aim of the programme is to co-ordinate the efforts of state and local authorities to raise the living standards of minority groups. The execution of the programme is listed among the criteria for Bulgaria's EU membership.

According to officials the programme will improve the living conditions of 412 500 people or 85 900 households. These people live in 100 neighbourhoods in 88 cities.

Additional aims of the project include the development of infrastructure in the Roma neighbourhoods, the establishment of regular water and electricity supply and the provision of street lights.

The programme will obtain funding from the state and the municipal budgets, as well as from the EU structural funds. The project will cost nearly 1.26 billion leva. Funding from the national budget totals 505 million leva or 40 per cent of the total.