2024-09-20 17:52:15
The European Commission closely monitors the procedure for supplying Bulgarian customs with scanning equipment for customs control and is familiar with every stage of the procedure, so it will not become an obstacle for the country’s full accession to Schengen. This was stated on Friday by the director of the “Customs” Agency, Georgi Dimov.
His statement was on the occasion of the statements made earlier in the day by PP-DB deputy Martin Dimitrov and MEP Radan Kanev that customs have canceled a public order for the purchase of the scanners in question and
whether the delivery of a company
by direct negotiation,
which put our country at risk.
“A huge mistake, because all those who do not want Bulgaria to enter the land-based Schengen now have a formal reason to request a postponement. Why does the office allow such own goals?” asked Martin Dimitrov. It was about EUR 63 million in grant funding.
According to Georgi Dimov, however
Bulgaria will not lose
no funds
since the procedure is coordinated with the EC. He did not provide information on who is the executor of the project for the purchase of the scanning equipment, because “the information that is collected through the border-pass control system is a secret not only for Bulgaria, but also for the entire EU,” said Dimov.
He also added that the European Commission is familiar with every stage of the implementation of this procedure.
It started back in 2023, when the government of Nikolay Denkov was in power.
The idea is to deliver the new equipment to the points in Vidin, Ruse, Varna, Kyustendil, Blagoevgrad, the ports of Burgas, Varna-zapad and Ruse, Varna airport, the customs point of the ferry in Varna and the Bregovo point. Also in Sofia, Plovdiv, Haskovo, Burgas and the points Kapitan Andreevo, Kalotina, Lesovo, Intermodal Terminal Plovdiv.
However, the initially launched public procurement is
was appealed to the Commission
to protect competition
(CPC), as the Supreme Administrative Court (SAC) has ordered that a new one be held.
However, Dimov’s explanations made it clear that this was not possible, at least not without risking meeting the deadline for the delivery of the equipment.
Since March 31, Bulgaria is a member of the Schengen area for free travel, but for now partially – by air and by sea. At the end of March, when asked whether the talks with Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer had been renewed about the lifting of the land barriers to Bulgarian membership, the then Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov said that the country could hope for the continuation of the negotiations after proving that it could handle air and sea mode.
“The project is extremely important not only
for Bulgaria, but also for EU purposes
The contract, which was concluded with the contractor selected by the “Customs” Agency, is performed regularly. The financial funds are received on the basis of a plan prepared by the Customs Agency, the director of the agency, Georgi Dimov, commented on Friday.