European Commission

The EU's Economic and Financial Affairs Council is expected to approve the proposal of the European Commission for granting Bulgaria EUR 10 million in aid for flood damage.

By the end of this month Bulgaria will get EUR 240 M in restored payments under the EU Operational Programme Environment for the programming period 2007-2013, said the European Commission (EC).

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The Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) has warned against proposals to amend the Law on Bank Deposits tabled by the socialist opposition.

In a statement to the media the BNB said Thursday the idea to secure additional money for the Bulgarian Deposit Insurance Fund to withstand a crisis is not in line with the principles of the currency board and also the rules of the European Union.

The European Commission has approved the measures for improved management and control of the Environment Programme, proposed by Bulgaria, reports the BNR public broadcaster, quoting Brussels sources.

SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras may seek a meeting with Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu next month, his party suggested on Thursday.

The European Commission is to increase its humanitarian assistance and recovery aid to Ukraine in order to meet the immediate needs of inhabitants of the conflict-ridden region.

The EU is providing an additional EUR 3.3 M to help those most affected by the ongoing conflict in Eastern Ukraine in view of the approaching winter.

BRUSSELS - The ministers of public and state administration of Western Balkan countries and Turkey have signed a joint declaration on the main principles in this field following a conference in Brussels.

The conference ended on Wednesday, and the declaration was signed on behalf of Serbia by Minister of State Administration and Local Self-Government Kori Udovicki.

A bill to overhaul the 2014 budget will be put forward for discussion in the provisional Budget and Finance Committee of BUlgaria's Parliament.

The draft legislation was submitted to the National Assembly after the government adopted its text on Tuesday.

It envisages an increased budget deficit of BGN 2.992 B (3.7 percent of GDP) and a cap of this year's debt worth BGN 4.5 B.

By Yiannis Papadoyiannis

National Bank of Greece on Wednesday announced it intends to go ahead with the sale of some of its shares in Turkish subsidiary Finansbank, alongside the latter’s share capital increase. However it will retain a 60 percent stake in the Turkish lender.

Small and medium-sized companies in Greece have the highest need for bank funding in the eurozone, but find it hard to get, a survey by the European Central Bank and the European Commission showed on Wednesday.