News

The fifth meeting of the Monitoring Committee of OP "Science and education about smart growth" was held on 25.11.2016 in the town of Sofia. It was opened by Meglena Kuneva, Minister of Education and Chairman of the Monitoring Committee of the operational program. Participants in the meeting were the leadership of the Ministry of Education and Science, representatives of the European Commission - Mr. Aurelio Cecilio and Mrs. Dora Krumova from DG "Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion", Mr. Marek Teplanski and Mr. Francois Galaga by DG "Regional and urban policy," the leadership of the Managing authority of OP SESG, as well as representatives of institutions and NGOs in the field of education. Organizations working for educational integration of ethnic minorities were presented by Deyan Kolev from Amalipe Center.

Committee members approved the Indicative Annual Work Programme (IAWP) for 2017 and the launch of 9 procedures totaling 274 million lev in 2017. The program and the operations see here (in BG).

During the meeting were discussed and approved the selection criteria for the following 3 steps:

1. "Ensuring access to quality education in small towns and in distant areas": it will follow a "community-led local development" approach, continuing the LEADER approach from the previous programming period. That means the operation funds will be distributed by local action groups whose Strategies include measures for educational integration. They will be distributed through a competitive selection procedures of projects managed by the respective LAG. Beneficiaries will be schools, kindergartens and municipalities in partnership with NGOs registered on the territory of the LAG at least a year earlier. Projects may include additional activities of teachers in order to prevent dropouts of minority students, including new pedagogical specialists and teacher assistants, canteens, transport, improve material living conditions in schools and kindergartens (including the purchase of ICT), interaction with parents. Special emphasis will be placed on improving access and increasing the motivation of students from marginalized groups to be included in the vocational education system: through motivational campaigns, improve facilities in vocational schools, free transport, textbooks, etc .;

2. "Support to vulnerable groups for access to higher education": this operation was approved in October 2015, with some adjustments and changes. The most important was that for the first operation will be carried out through the so-called "simplified costs". The operation aims to increase the number and percentage of students in universities and secondary schools, young people from vulnerable groups: young people with disabilities, ethnic minorities and other underrepresented groups.

The operation will be implemented as a procedure for competitive selection of projects in two components. Component 1 will support minor repairs to make the environment accessible to students with disabilities, where applicants will be only universities. Component 2 will facilitate enrollment and training of students from ethnic minorities and other vulnerable groups in secondary schools and universities. It is envisaged to be done through information and motivation campaigns, courses, payment of fees for application and tuition, activities to engage parents and to change the negative stereotypes, volunteering in vulnerable groups through which supported youth will keep their relationship with the communities from which they come from. Applicants eligible for this component are schools and NGOs. Approved projects will be implemented for the perod of 2 years. Projects within Component 2 will be worth between 50 000 lev and 100,000 lev. Thus 1,000 students with disabilities and 1,200 students from ethnic minorities will be supported.

It is expected that the call for project proposals under this operation to be announced in March 2017;

3. "Strengthening the Capacity of pedagogical specialists to work in multicultural environment": the operation will support the practical training of 2000 pedagogical specialists to work in multicultural environment. Unlike the other qualification operation approved by the Monitoring Committee ( "Training and retraining of pedagogic specialists ") that will be implemented as a procedure for competitive selection of projects that will be eligible for universities and NGOs having registration under Art. 222 of the education Act.

It is expected that the call for project proposals under the operation to be announced in April 2017;

Progress report on the OP SESG was presented during the meeting. according to it 7 calls for proposals have been announced, that concluded 99 contracts worth 316 million lev, representing 24.5% of the program budget.

The Committee held a serious discussion on the request of Deyan Kolev to the Managing Authority to declare clearly that the participation of NGOs in the Monitoring Committee do not put them in a conflict of interest and the same organizations can apply for grant schemes. "I know this is meant with indisputable clarity from all who know how the operational programs work, but the lack of a clear position of the Managing Authority is a prerequisite for political pressure on NGOs and representatives on civil society," said Kolev.

Aurelio Cecilio expressed the firm position of the European Commission that we cannot talk about conflict of interest under any form. The Managing Authority, not the Committee approves projects on the grant schemes. The Committee itself should involve all stakeholders, it is a fundamental principle of partnership, and it is natural that they can apply. Mr. Aurelio defined as bias approach the attempts to argue that NGO representatives in the Monitoring Committees are in a conflict of interest. Malina Krumova from CCU also defended the position that there is no conflict of interest.

The Managing Authority agreed that the participation of NGO representatives in the Committee of OPSESG do not put them in a conflict of interest, but recommended just in case that they would refrain from voting on grants.

At the end of the meeting Mr. Aurelio Cecilio said that he would no longer  be a member of the Committee and would started working in another department of the European Commission. Mr. Ivan Modev, Chief Directorate "Structural Funds" at MES also announced that he would move to another structure. Temporary his functions would be carried out by Mrs.Tsveta Gerdzhikova.