Some 49.4 percent of structural support funds earmarked for Lithuania in the EU’s financial framework of 2007-2013 had already been disbursed to the country, the Finance Ministry reported on Friday citing the Commission’s data. Ireland ranked second with 48.1 percent.

Lithuania’s success in structural funds absorption resulted from continuous project supervision, the ministry said adding that this was not the first time for Lithuania to outpace other EU Member States in terms of structural support absorption rate.

The amount of EU funds earmarked for Lithuania for 2007-2013 exceeds 23 billion litas (EUR 6.67b). More than 6,500 projects co-financed from the 2007-2013 EU structural funds are being implemented now or have already been implemented in Lithuania. These projects will account for more than 20 billion litas in EU funds, or 86 percent of funding earmarked for Lithuania for 2007-2013.