Since the start of the new programming period of European funding – (2014-2020), Bulgaria has managed to absorb almost 750 million euros, which equals 4.55 percent of the total budget. The total budget for the period, which is allowed to be absorbed until 2022, reaches 16.4 billion euros. 14 billion euros out of these come from European funding and 2.4 billion euros come from the national budget. Since the approval of operational programs, which happened more than a year ago for most of them, approved projects so far total 2.7 billion euros, or 16.5 percent of the total budget of the programs. Until May 3, 2016 some 256 million euros or 1.55 percent of the full budget of the new EU funds have actually entered the Bulgarian economy, it was reported.