1. PREPARATION OF WATER INFRASTRUCTURE
PROJECTS
ENVIRONMENT OPERATIONAL PROGRAMME
Evgenia Koeva
Cohesion Policy for Environment Directorate
Managing Authority of OPE
Ministry of Environment and Water

2. PROGRAMME OBJECTIVES
STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE:
– Improvement, preservation and recovery of the
natural environment and development of
environmental infrastructure
SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES:
– Protection and improvement of water resources
– Improvement of waste management and soil
protection
– Preservation of biodiversity and nature protection

3. PRIORITY AXES
PRIORITY AXIS 1: Improvement and
development of water and wastewater
infrastructure in settlements with over
2000 PE and in settlements below 2000
PE within urban agglomeration areas
Budget: 1 284 000 000 EUR
Beneficiaries: municipal administrations
and river basin management
directorates

4. PRIORITY AXES
PRIORITY AXIS 2: Improvement and
development of waste treatment
infrastructure
Budget: 367 million EUR
Beneficiaries: municipal administrations,
associations of municipalities

5. PRIORITY AXES
PRIORITY AXIS 3: Preservation and recovery of
biodiversity
Budget: 103 million EUR
Beneficiaries: municipalities, NATURA 2000
management administrations, non-
governmental organisations

6. PRIORITY AXIS 1: EUROPEAN LEGISLATION
Compliance with Directive 91/271/EEC
concerning urban wastewater
treatment

7. PRIORITY AXIS 1: ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES
 Construction/reconstruction of WWTP
 Construction of collectors to WWTP
 Construction of main collectors and
pump stations for wastewater collection
 Construction of sewerage networks
 Reconstruction/rehabilitation of
sewerage networks
 Construction/reconstruction of water
supply networks that are located in the
routes of the sewers

8. PRIORITY AXIS 1: FINANCING
- Direct award procedures and
beneficiaries
- Prioritisation of agglomerations
with a focus on agglomerations
above 10 000 PE in the 2007-2013
programming period

9. PRIORITY AXIS 1: STAGES OF PROJECT
PREPARATION (1)
- Preparation of invitations for application
that outline eligible beneficiaries and
activities, required documentation,
specific conditions for application
- Organisation of consultations with the
direct project beneficiaries
- Review of feasibility studies by the MA
and provision of comments
- Revision of project documentation by the
project beneficiaries

10. PRIORITY AXIS 1: STAGES OF PROJECT
PREPARATION (2)
- Review of complete project documentation
(feasibility studies, preliminary designs for
WWTP, preliminary and detailed designs for
sewerage and water supply networks, cost
benefit analyses) by the MA and provision of
comments
- Revision of documentation and submission of
project proposals for evaluation
- Evaluation of the submitted proposals
- Contract award upon completion of the
evaluation

11. PRIORITY AXIS 1: MOST COMMON MISTAKES
- Incorrect estimation of the number
of PE
- Incorrect estimation of water
consumption per capita
- The feasibility study does not
examine the entire collecting and
treatment system

12. PRIORITY AXIS 1: DIRECT AWARD
PROCEDURES
- 2010: two direct award
procedures for construction and
technical assistance+construction
(for agglomerations above 10 000
PE)
- 2011: one direct award procedure
for construction (for
agglomerations between 2 000
and 10 000 PE)

13. OPE IN SUPPORT OF THE WATER SECTOR
REFORM (1)
Recent amendments to the Water
Act:
- Public ownership of water
infrastructure assets
- Management of water infrastructure
by water associations established
for each of the 28 designated areas
in the country

14. OPE IN SUPPORT OF THE WATER SECTOR
REFORM (2)
In 2012 the MA of OPE launched a direct
grant award procedure aimed at
supporting the water sector reform
and the sustainable management of
water infrastructure in the country.

15. OPE IN SUPPORT OF THE WATER SECTOR
REFORM (3)
Planned activities of the procedure:
- Development of a strategy for the water sector
- Capacity building of water companies (operators)
and water associations
- Development of a single information system for
water services
- Development of legislative acts and other documents
that regulate water infrastructure management and
performance of water associations

16. OPE IN SUPPORT OF THE WATER SECTOR
REFORM (4)
- Beneficiary: Water Infrastructure
Directorate at the Ministry of
Regional Development and Public
Works
- Budget: 8 400 000 EUR

17. Cohesion Policy for Environment Directorate
MANAGING AUTHORITY OF OPE
www.ope.moew.government.bg