Who will control the EU subsidies in Bulgaria

A new Executive Agency "Certification Audit of European Agricultural Funds" under the Ministry of Agriculture will certify EU subsidies for farmers. It is envisaged that the officials employed in the future agricultural structure will number 22.

The creation of a new control body under the Ministry of Agriculture, which will audit European funds from the agricultural funds, is still a draft decree of the Council of Ministers, published for public discussion by the Ministry of Agriculture. It is no secret that until now the agricultural department selected an auditor through tenders under the Public Procurement Act, which created enormous pressure, usually accompanied by untimely absorption of European funds, as well as public scandals, often reaching court decisions. The fact is that there have already been not one, but quite a few failed tenders for a Certifying Body for the Paying Agency under the State Fund Agriculture. Therefore, the creation of an Executive Agency, which will play the role of a controlling link for financial reports, is a necessary step for the qualitative distribution of funds in the agricultural sector.

According to European rules, the certifying body that audits EU agricultural funds can be public or private, designated by the member state. When it is a private audit body, the selection is made through a public tender procedure. The new agency will present an opinion on the annual financial report of the Paying Agency under the State Fund Agriculture, based on which the European Commission will disburse EU subsidies.