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We are working on all targets in the Recovery and Resilience Plan related to the second and third payments, which are in no way affected by the decision of the Parliament regarding changes to certain commitments in the decarbonisation sector.

This was pointed out to journalists by the Deputy Prime Minister for the management of European funds, Atanas Pekanov

Atanas Pekanov is an economist at the Austrian Institute for Economic Research (WIFO) in Vienna, and recalled that our country received the first payment under the plan in December, BTA reported. 

Pekanov noted that the Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Environment and Water are preparing a reasoned position of Bulgaria as to why some of the goals set for this year cannot be fulfilled in view of the difficult energy situation.

"When this position is ready in March, it will be sent to the European Commission, after which there will be discussions on how to set more realistic targets, but on the other hand how to achieve the decarbonisation and Green Deal targets, which remain relevant. Pekanov pointed out.

To a question about the postponement of Bulgaria's accession to the Eurozone from January 1, 2024, Atanas Pekanov

Atanas Pekanov, an economist at the Austrian Institute for Economic Research (WIFO) in Vienna, said it had a cost and was damaging to the country, but said he was continuing to work to make membership happen as soon as possible.

Bulgaria continues to work actively on the technical preparation for entering the Eurozone, said Pekanov.

This year, we did not meet the convergence criteria in terms of inflation and the legislative framework, which led to this one-year delay, he recalled.

With entry into the Eurozone, interest rates on government debt will fall.

Interest rates for households and businesses will also fall, so this is one expenditure they will continue to make as long as we only have one foot in the Eurozone.

When we finally enter, we will have positives, which at the moment we will lose for another year, commented Pekanov.

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Atanas Pekanov

Atanas Pekanov is an economist at the Austrian Institute for Economic Research (WIFO), in Vienna, participated in a forum in Sofia dedicated to the National Plan for Recovery and Sustainability and the Spanish experience, organized by the Bulgarian-Spanish Chamber of Commerce and the Liberal Institute for Political Analysis.

Spain is the first EU country with an approved Recovery Plan and the first to receive funds from the Recovery Fund, and the EC has identified it as the economy that will grow the most in 2023. Among the participants in the forum is Francisco Fonseca Moriyo, long-time director of The representation of the EC in Spain, with over 35 years of experience in European institutions.

Deputy Prime Minister Pekanov summarized that the forum aims to exchange experience and good practices between Bulgaria and Spain on how to move better, faster and more successfully with investment projects under the Recovery Plan and in terms of reforms.

Spain is one of the most successful countries, perhaps the most successful in Europe, in terms of the Recovery and Resilience Plan, they have already approved the third payment, noted Pekanov. 

Atanas Pekanov

Recovery and Resilience Plan