As of February 11, Slovakia has drawn 59.73 percent from the total allocation of EU structural funds and state budget funds allocated for the shortened 2004-2006 programming period.
Of the total allocation amounting to Sk62.46 billion, Slovakia has drawn over Sk37.308 billion. Drawing from structural funds amounted to Sk26.67 billion, and co-financing from the state budget to Sk10.63 billion. The sum of contracted funds stood at nearly Sk61.448 billion as of February 11, representing 98.38 percent of allocated finances, the SITA newswire wrote.
Slovakia can draw sources allocated for 2005 until the end of 2007 and money projected for 2006 until the end of 2008. This information comes from data of the Ministry of Construction and Regional Development that coordinates the use of EU funds in Slovakia. As of February 11, the ministry registered the highest rate of drawing in the Agriculture and Rural Development Operational Program, amounting to 76.59 percent. This represents Sk7.450 billion, while the sum of contracted funds was Sk9.835 billion, which is 101.1 percent of funds allocated for this program. The Basic Infrastructure Operational Program came in second with Sk12.80 billion drawn, which is 60.6 percent. Contracted funds amounted to Sk20.849 billion and the share of total allocation was 98.66 percent.
The Industry and Services Operational Program drew 58.18 percent at volume of Sk5.101 billion. Contracted funds reached Sk8.648 billion, or 98.63 percent of total allocation. Funds drawn within the Human Resources Operational Program represented almost Sk7.928 billion (56.82 percent). Contracted funds of almost Sk13.428 billion represent 96.24 percent of total allocation. Remaining funds fell to three programs: Interreg IIIA, related to Slovakia's cooperation with Austria, Poland and the Czech Republic, and JPD2 and JPD3, focusing on Bratislava, Slovakia's neighbourhood with Hungary and Ukraine and the Equal Initiative. SITA
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
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