Finance Ministry refuses to pay for projects which failed to secure EU funding

The Czech Finance Ministry will not pay some 2.6 billion crowns, or more than 130 million US dollars, for regional projects that had failed to secure funding from the EU, according to a press release by Finance Minister Miroslav Kalousek. The European Commission last month refused to pay for the projects organized by the Czech operational programme, ROP Northwest, over issues with the projects’ administration and lack of supervision. Mr Kalousek said the costs of the projects would have to be covered from the budgets of the respective Ústí and Karlovy Vary regions. Members of the regional representations meanwhile said that with no help from the ministry, the regions could not afford to do so.