The environment ministry announced that the EC has approved the revised criteria and procedures for preparation and assessment of water management projects to be financed under the country’s environment operational programme. The new criteria guarantee that the selected projects will have good economic and environment ground. As recalled, Directorate General Regional Policy of the European Commission instructed local authorities to cease signing contracts for water projects under the environment operational programme in February but two months later allowed the contracting again as the government addressed the requirements of EC to define the owner of the water supply networks and to guarantee the effective utilisation of the EU funds. A month ago, the government blocked 11 water management projects valued at total of EUR 100mn and financed by EU structural funds under the country’s environment operational programme on suspicions for setting too high prices for the projects. The total amount to be allocated under the environment operational programme stands at EUR 1.8bn until 2013. A total of EUR 1.5bn are earmarked for water management projects.