National Strategy for the Prevention and Combating of Irregularities and Fraud Affecting the Financial Interests of the European Union for the Period 2021-2027

  1. Irregularity, as defined in Article 2, paragraph 36 of Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013, means any breach of Union law or national law relating to the application of that provision, resulting from an act or omission by an economic operator involved in the implementation of the European Structural and Investment Funds, which has or would have the effect of prejudicing the budget of the Union by charging an unjustified item of expenditure to the budget of the Union.
  2. Suspicion of fraud, as defined in paragraph 1, point 4 of the Additional Provisions of the Ordinance on the Administration of Irregularities under the European Structural and Investment Funds (NANESIF), is an irregularity giving grounds for the initiation of administrative or judicial proceedings at national level, with a view to establishing the existence of a specific intentional act, in particular fraud.
  3. Fraud (in respect of expenditure), as defined in Article 1(1)(a) of the Convention of 26 July 1995 on the protection of the European Communities’ financial interests, adopted pursuant to Article K.3 of the Treaty on European Union, means any intentional act or omission relating to:
  • the use or presentation of false, incorrect or incomplete statements or documents, which has the effect of misappropriating or wrongfully retaining funds from the general budget of the European Union or budgets managed by or on behalf of the European Union;
  • non-disclosure of information in violation of a specific obligation, with the same effect;
  • the misapplication of such funds for purposes other than those for which they were originally granted.
  1. Irregularity report, as defined in paragraph 1, point 3 of the Additional Provisions of NANESIF, is information received, including from an anonymous source, about an irregularity committed. To constitute an irregularity report, this information must at a minimum provide a clear reference to the specific project, the funding program, the administrative unit, and a description of the irregularity.

Any person may submit an irregularity report in connection with the implementation of projects co-financed by Operational Programme “Transport and Transport Infrastructure”. The methods for doing so are described in the “Irregularity Reports” section on the official website of the Managing Authority of OPTTI, at the following electronic address: https://www.eufunds.bg/bg/optti/node/698

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