EU funds fully distributed, says interior minister

The Ministry of the Interior has been taking increased advantage of the European Union’s structural funds in the past six months, dispersing fears that the EU grants would not be spent within the set time limit and the Czech Republic would have to return part of the money. Minister of the Interior Martin Pecina told journalists on Monday that all funds slated for 2007 and 2008 had been spent, a sum of over 5.8 billion Czech crowns. The director of the ministry’s structural funds department added that the main reasons for the slow start in spending were badly designed proposals and a lack of communication, which lead to a change in guidelines for the distribution of such funds.