Bulgaria with access to financial resources under a new European programme, will implement joint projects with Mediterranean countries

Bulgaria will be included in a new transnational cooperation programme in the next programming period 2021-2027. It is called INTERREG Euro-Mediterranean Area and will fund projects to jointly address challenges to ensure the geographical and geopolitical connectivity of the Black Sea and Mediterranean basins.  This was announced by the Deputy Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Denitsa Nikolova, who is leading the negotiations with the European Commission from the Bulgarian side.

"The Directorate General for Regional and Settlement Policy in the European Commission officially confirmed that our country is included with its entire territory in the programme, which provides an additional opportunity to achieve the objectives of Bulgaria's regional policy," Deputy Minister Nikolova said.

Participation in the future EURO MED programme will provide additional opportunities to establish new international partnerships with countries such as Greece, Cyprus, Italy, Malta, Slovenia, Croatia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro, as well as with the southern regions of France, Spain and Portugal.

So far transnational partnerships have been funded mainly in the South East Europe region.

The concrete priorities and specific objectives of the programme will be discussed and selected by a joint programming working group involving all countries in the region.

"The European Commission's vision for the Euro-Mediterranean area is towards cooperation for a smarter, greener, low-carbon Europe, a Europe closer to citizens and better governance of cooperation," the Deputy Regional Minister added.