News

The seventh meeting of the Monitoring Committee of Operational Program "Human Resources Development" was held on 30 November and 1 December in Sofia. It was attended by representatives of DG Employment of the European Commission, the Minister of EU funds Tomislav Donchev, over 70 representatives of the Managing Authority Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, the Inter-mediate bodies Ministry of Education, Employment Agency and Agency for social protection and of all institutions involved in the implementation of the Program, and observers from five groups of NGOs. Roma organizations were presented by Deyan Kolev (Center Amalipe) and Radostin Manov (Diverse and Equal Association).

In times of crisis, the European Social Fund proved to be reliable source for keeping the level of unemployment low and for assisting the vulnerable groups, stressed in his opening speech, Deputy Minister of Labour and Chairman of the Monitoring Committee Krasimir Popov . He stressed that 1.16 billions of OP HRD are contracted and that the Managing Authority is doing everything possible to accelerate the actual payments.

Investment in human capital is not the most attractive and visible (such as highway construction,) but this investment is the basic element that links the others, the minister of EU funds Tomislav Donchev said. He stressed that the implementation of HRD OP goes so far with good pace and gave as an example the support for the process of deinstitutionalization. This approach - combining the resources of the OP Human Resources Development and OP Regional Development for large-scale multi-sartorial interventions - should be also applied in other areas, such as Roma integration.

Phillip Busz, Head of Unite for Bulgaria in DG Employment of the European Commission stressed that in the past year Europe 2020 Strategy came into force s enacted, and Bulgaria  set ambitious targets for its implementation: to reduce school dropouts to 11%, to increase the employment rate to 76% and to put over half a million people beyond the poverty threshold. OPHRD is an important mean to achieve these goals. There is a serious improvement on the planning and contracting of OPHRD funds, as there is still much to be done on increasing the amounts of the actual payment. Philip Busz stressed the importance of Roma integration at European and national level: Roma should be prioritized until the end of this programming period, and certainly in the next one, he said.

During the session the Monitoring Committee approved 32 new operations totaling approximately 833 million, bringing total planned funds reached 2.32 billion. The operations approved are within all priority axes of OP. Description may be found at http://www.mlsp.government.bg/bg/news/news.asp?newsid=1694&catid=1

The meeting of the MC and Roma integration:

Only one out of 32 approved new operations aimed at supporting the integration of Roma: "Development of complex measures for the integration of the most marginalized communities among ethnic minorities with a focus on Roma”. The Ministry of Labour and Social Policy will receive 800 000 BGN within this operation for a study which will prepare the ground for announcing multi-sectarian operation aiming at the improvement of living conditions (infrastructure, housing, employment and education) in the Roma neighborhoods. The Committee approved the extension of operations "Educational Integration of Children and students from ethnic minorities" and "Adult literacy": they are not started due to delays by the Ministry of Education. In response to a question by Deyan Kolev, Daniela Ivanova - Director-General for Structural Funds in MEYS assured that the at the end of December the results of the competition for projects under the scheme "Educational Integration of Children and students from ethnic minorities” will be announced

Although Roma organizations offered in July, four new operations (in the areas of access to education and health), none of them was included in the agenda of the session. This prompted a sharp reaction from the Roma NGO observers which was supported also by other groups and NGOs. Deyan Kolev introduced the four operations and proposed the Monitoring Committee to approve them in principle and to appoint a working group for refining the criteria for these operations made on the basis of proposals from Roma organizations. The Working Group shall, within two months, propose these four operations through written procedure for final approval. The proposal was supported unanimously. The Committee approved in principle the four operations proposed by Roma NGOs: reintegration into the school system of dropouts, improving educational integration in rural schools, a comprehensive program to support higher education of students from vulnerable groups and preventive health care in Roma neighborhoods. A working group composed by representatives of the Ministry of Education, Agency for Social Assistance, Ministry of Health, NCCEDI, observers from the groups of Roma organizations and health organizations was formed.

The operations approved in principle are part of a comprehensive Operational plan for Roma integration through structural funds proposed by Roma NGOs. Together with multi-sectoral intervention for improving housing conditions, employment and education they will create preconditions for real and substantial progress of the integration process.

The meeting of the MC and the participation of civil society organizations:

The session marked peak of clear trend that many of the participants identified as "dangerous": the delegation of funds in the OP only to institutions. Out of 32 new schemes approved, 30 were for direct transfer of funds to MLSP, ASA, EA and MEYS. Many of these activities had no innovative element: they were activities which so far had been financed by the Bulgarian budget, but by that time would be financed by the OP. Any suggestions of various groups of NGOs were rejected.

This prompted a sharp reaction of observers from NGOs (in particular - observers of organizations - social service providers were very active) and the National Association of Municipalities. The Mayor of Troyan called the Committee "Committee for the over-centralization”. Situation threatened to escalate with session boycott by the side of NGO representatives. Finally this did not happen since after conversation with Deputy Minister Popov a mutually acceptable schedule of announcing new operations that would guarantee delivery of grant schemes open to the innovative activities of NGOs was negotiated.