Belarus annualy receives about 20 million euros from EU

Apart from receiving Russian loans and Chinese investment, Belarus receives financial assistance from the European Union. This week, for example, our country has received 1.5 million euros to fight diseases of wild animals.

According to an official document of the European Commission called "Strategy of cooperation between Belarus and the EU for 2014-2020", the European Union intends to donate Belarus from 129 to 158 million euros, about 20 million euros annually. For comparison, this is more than the credit that the Development Bank received in May.

Euroradio looked into the issue of the European money spending in Belarus.

Thirty percent of the money will be spent on the program for development of social inclusion in society. A quarter will be spent to support the environment. Regional economic development projects cover 25% of the total amount, and 10% goes to the additional support of civil society and "capacity building".

Last year, 11.5 million euros was spent on the vocational education program; 5.5 million - to support civil society. This year, approximately 14.5 million will be spent on projects to protect the environment. In 2016, priority for funding will be given to regional development programs.

Most large-scale projects are implemented by the UNDP. For example, the Eco Cooperation project had a budget of more than 5 million euros and was developed from 2011 to 2014. It was aimed at the development of ecotourism in the Yelnya swamp, as well as a system of solid waste management in Masty and Kobryn.

The manager of the project, Volha Chabrouskaya, says that the collection of materials for recycling increases still:

"I think the most important thing here ist the system of municipal solid waste collection we launched in Masty and Kobryn, and at the level of the government it was recommended to all utilities services to use similar equipment. After all, it proved to be successful and well-functioning."

Yauhen Labanau, Head of Environmental Solutions, which implements some of the environmental projects supported by the EU, said that after each project there are a lot of instruments that continue to operate. Three years ago there was opened a public consultation center for waste and chemical safety.

"Even though the project ended two years ago, we still get calls from people, because we are working in the field of chemistry and waste. Every day at least a few people call us asking where to take some types of hazardous waste."

To date, the project Green Economy is carried out, which aims to develop the economy and at the same time alleviate the negative impact of human activity on climate change.

Photo: lampa.today, galeneastro.livejournal.com, health.ej.by