BRATISLAVA, August 3, (WEBNOVINY) — The use of EU structural funds allocated for the second programming period 2007-2013 increased in July by 0.65 percentage points from June. Of the EUR 11.498 billion available, Slovakia used up EUR 2.201 billion as of late June, which was 19.14 percent, the Finance Ministry reported. The country made use of 98.86 percent of the adjusted commitment for 2008, lowered by advance payments, which can be drawn until the end of this year. This means that EUR 16.55 million or 1.14 percent, is still to be drawn by then.
The eligibility to settle costs from EU structural funds for the 2004-2006 programming period expired at the end of June 2009 but paying units could file aggregate applications for payment with the payment authority until October 2009. The term was prolonged until November in some individual cases. Within the first programming period, Slovakia drew EUR 1.219 billion for all program documents. Compared to the overall allocation of EUR 1.169 billion, this constituted 103.93 percent. Drawing beyond the allocation was possible due to elimination of the negative impact of the gains reported by the Slovak currency vis-a-vis the euro. Maximum payments from the EU must not exceed 100 percent of the country’s commitment, so the sum contracted beyond the cap will be funded from the state budget.
Payment authorities received EUR 332.2 million from the overall allocation for ISPA/Cohesion Fund projects at the end of July. This is 91.9 percent of total eligible costs at EUR 361.5 million. A total of EUR 358.6 million was paid to contractors, including payment of the final twenty percent from the state budget, which means actual drawing of 99.18 percent of total eligible costs financed from the sources of the European Communities. In accordance with the signed financial memoranda and their approved annexes, EU funds drawing for ISPA/Cohesion Fund projects continued until the end of 2010, according to the Ministry of Finance.
Cohesion Fund projects got EUR 328.1 million, which is 81 percent of total eligible costs covered from EU funds. Applications worth EUR 405 million were approved to paying units, which is 100 percent of the commitment.
SITA
