AS OF November 20, Slovakia had drawn only a quarter of the €1.7 billion (Sk37.5 billion) in EU funds earmarked for the country for the 2004-2006 period.
However, contracts have been signed or work already started on projects that will eventually use 90 percent of the total funding. The money can be drawn until 2008.
According to Ján Rudolf from the Construction Ministry, the drawing of EU money is being complicated by the clumsiness of the process and by corruption, the Pravda daily wrote.
