2 May 2006

E.ON Bulgaria hands over the keys to the new houses

A donation of 500 000 euro utilized in more than 200 projects

Today in the town hall of Ruse the utilization of the 500 000 Euro donation of E.ON and the results of the projects in the region have been presented to the public. Further, Mr. Ralph Pesch, member of the Management Board of E.ON Bulgaria, handed over to the families, whose houses had been struck by the last year's floods, a symbolic key to their new homes.

“We are happy that with our help here, in the region of Ruse, new houses could be provided to the many families whose homes were destroyed by the floods” Mr. Pesch said.
The funds for these particular projects amount to around 153 000 BGN.
The decisions on the selection of each of these projects have been made by a donation committee set up together with representatives of the Bulgarian Red Cross.

“We are glad that with the Bulgarian Red Cross we have won a competent and acknowledged partner which has a lot of experience in the realisation of donations” Mr. Pesch said, thanking the Bulgarian Red Cross on his behalf and on behalf of his colleagues from the Management Board of E.ON Bulgaria for the good cooperation.

In the regions of Veliko Tarnovo, Silistra, Shumen, Targovishte, Dobrich and Razgrad more other projects were and will be successfully completed.
In total, more than 200 projects will be carried out. The major part of the donation has been earmarked for the purchase of houses. In addition, other funds have been used for the reconstruction of partly demolished houses, as well as for the rebuilding of public establishments, such as nursery schools, throughout North-Eastern Bulgaria.

Heavy rainfalls in the summer of 2005 resulted in severe inundations across the country. The natural disaster destroyed large parts of the country's infrastructure. Private houses, farming estates, schools and draining systems were seriously damaged by the floods in many areas in Bulgaria.
Against the background of this crisis situation and thanks to the support of E.ON Energie, the parent company in Munich, E.ON Bulgaria managed to grant quickly and unbureaucratically a 500 000 euro financial aid.

E.ON Bulgaria was established in February 2005. Also this youngest member of the E.ON concern has as an essential part of its corporate philosophy to be well aware of its public and social responsibility. The name E.ON stands not only for a global company operating beyond the national borders. E.ON means much more: a multinational concern which is fully aware of its commitment and obligations in each and every region where it is represented.

“As a Bulgarian company E.ON Bulgaria do realises its huge responsibility in this country: we are convinced that with our donation we have succeeded in helping the families to rebuild their homes and to repair the inflicted damages” Mr. Pesch said.

E.ON Bulgaria holds 59% of the shares of each electricity distribution company in Gorna Oriahovitsa and Varna respectively. Both electricity distribution companies have annual sales volumes of about 4.9 billion kWh, supply electricity to more than 1.1 million customers and operate about 40.000 km long electricity distribution networks.