Bulgaria and Romania prepared a joint project to improve navigation on the Danube. The FAST Danube 2 project, which was submitted today for funding from the Connecting Europe Facility, foresees the implementation of engineering measures in the common section of the river that will improve navigation conditions and traffic safety.
‘In just a few months we have started real actions on two key projects with Romania, which for years were only a good wish’, Minister Gvozdeykov stressed at the signing of the documents. In his words, thanks to the strong political will and dialogue between the governments of Bulgaria and Romania, the two countries are actively working to improve transport connectivity in the Danube region. ‘This investment is important because it will make the river navigable 340 days a year, instead of the current 280, and this is of great benefit to business,’ Gvozdeykov emphasized.
The Ministry of Transport and Communications of Bulgaria and the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure of Romania have submitted a joint application form to the European Executive Agency for Climate, Infrastructure and Environment. The indicative value of the project is EUR 230 million, with a grant of up to 85%. The results of the project evaluation are expected to be available in July 2024.
The coordinator on the Romanian side is the Lower Danube River Authority, Romania. On the Bulgarian side, the partner is the Executive Agency Study and Maintenance of the Danube River.
