Bulgaria : Programmes covered: National and Cross Border Co-operation Programmes 1999-2001 with a brief review of Post-2001 allocations ; Phare Ex post Evaluation. Phase 2, National Programmes: Bulgaria

The purpose of this ex post evaluation is to assess the contribution of the 1999-2001 Phare national and cross-border co-operation (CBC) programmes to supporting Bulgaria in meeting the Copenhagen criteria so as to facilitate its accession to the European Union. This is an indepth evaluation which also includes an analysis of post-2001 allocations. This report has been prepared between December 2005 and June 2006,1 and reflects the situation where the Phare national Programmes in the 1999-2001 period have substantially ended. The evaluation is based on an analysis of documents provided at the start, during and on completion of the national Programmes, including previous interim evaluations, on the results of questionnaires, and on interviews with beneficiaries, contractors, and stakeholders. It examines the performance of the programmes in addressing the objectives stated in the formal programming documents, provides a general assessment of the programmes and draws conclusions and lessons learnt from them. The evaluation of Bulgarian national and CBC programmes is one of a series of ten evaluations in the new member states. The evaluations of the eight new member states in 2004 will feed into a consolidated evaluation of Phare national and CBC programmes, which, together with the in-depth evaluations of Romania and Bulgaria, will form part of a consolidated ex post evaluation of the Phare programme.