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The sixth regular session of the Monitoring Committee of Human Resources Development Operational Program took place on 18^th and 19^th of May in the town of Sandanski. Representatives of Directorate Generale “Employment, equal opportunities and antidiscrimination” of the European Commission, Ministry of Labor and Social Politicy (Managing authority of HRD OP), other minstries and institutions, observers from five groups non-governmental organizations took part in the Sixth session. Roma organizations were represented by Deyan Kolev.

In his opening speech to the participants the Chairman of the Monitoring Committee and Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Policy Krasimir Popov remarked that measures for overcoming the delay of the payments on the Program are being taken: not only to negotiate higher percent of the resources but to practically transfer the resources to the beneficiaries and invest them in activities. Our ambition is to program the whole resource before the end of the year in order to avoid the possibility for not using the resources from the Operational Program, said Mr. Popov.

Phillip Busz, Head of Unit for Bulgaria, Hungary, Netherlands and Croatia of Directorate General “Employment” of the European Commission stated that for the past six months Bulgaria achieved progress in negotiating resources from the Program but still the transfer of funds to the beneficiaries remains a serious challenge. Barely 5% of the resources have been transferred to the beneficiaries. To face this challenge an Action Plan for accelerating of the absorption of the European funds is needed. The idea of the recently appointed Minister of the European affairs Tomislav Donchev for simplifying the procedures is very well accepted by the European Commission, asserted Mr. Bush. He emphasized that the Commission will strictly monitor the added value of the European Social Fund financed projects. The impact on the integration of vulnerable groups will be one of the main accents in this monitoring.

13 new procedures for financial aid within the Program with a budget of 271 million BGN were approved at the session. The frame of the approved new actions includes support for paid internships for 13 500 educated youths, hiring of personal assistants for 9000 persons with disabilities, integration in the labor market of 5000 long-tern unemployed Roma, opening of new and supporting the existing social factories for disabled people, improving the qualification of 42 000 teachers and development of the system for professional orientation and career development in the system of secondary education, hiring of 250 labor mediators from vulnerable groups. In response to the high interest from citizens to the opportunities for education of employed persons by means of voucher of “I Can” Program, the Monitoring Committee decided to provide additional 25 million BGN.

The Committee approved the suggestion of Deyan Kolev, observer from the group of Roma organizations, for announcing grant scheme for projects aimed at inclusion in the labor market of non-active persons and un-motivated persons. The scheme is called “Take your life in your hands”. It includes field actions in marginalized communities for identification of non-active permanently unemployed persons; motivation activities; professional qualification; provision of three-month internships and mediation for job search. The whole spectrum of activities will be covered by funds from HRD OP. 5000 permanently unemployed and non-active persons are expected to be included in the program and respectively to be brought to work. NGOs that work in marginalized communities, training organizations or employers are welcomed to participate with projects. The budget frame of the Program is 11 million BGN.

The Committee also approved program “Improving the quality of service of the State Employment Agency with focus on vulnerable groups”, initiated by the National coordinator of the Decade of Roma Inclusion, Milen Milanov. This program develops the previous positive experience in hiring Roma mediators and includes hiring of 250 labor mediators from vulnerable groups (Roma, people with disabilities, etc.) to the Bureau of Labor for 42 months. Specialized labor markets will be organized as well as training for 1200 labor agents from the State Labor Agency to fight vulnerability of groups on the labor market. The budget frame of the program is 6 million BGN.  

The delay of the payments within HRD OP was discussed during the session. Deyan Kolev said that the delay imposes threat of bankruptcy for the beneficiaries and they prefer not to apply for new projects. The reasons for the delayed payments and the highly complicated technical documentation for the accountancy are not in the European Commission, but in the Bulgarian institutions, remarked Kolev. He suggested increase of advanced payments up to 40% of the approved amount on a project and requiring verification of the expenditures only at the stage of final report. That will limit the intermediate payments to one and will shorten the time terms to reasonable extend. Deputy Minister Popov agreed on the proposals and added that such procedure would facilitate the not only beneficiaries but also the Managing authorities. At the present moment simplifying of the procedures is being discussed on national level and that will happen in the months to come, stated to the participants Mr. Popov.