Deputy Minister Denitsa Nikolova: Our ambition is for the European funds in the new programming period to develop the entire territory of the country

The future European Operational Programme for Regional and Urban Development in the programming period after 2020 is expected to be focused on two axes – support for regional investment and investment for urban development, and our main goal is to seek to reduce regional disparities and imbalances. This was stated by Deputy Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Denitsa Nikolova during the fifth international conference on “European solidarity in the EU investment policy implemented in Bulgaria.”

Deputy Minister Nikolova noted that the new programming period will aim to develop the potential of each region in order to achieve economic growth by combining European funding with budget funds, financial instruments and international financial institutions. This will achieve the direction of balanced development of the regions and will avoid the negative demographic trends that are observed when focusing investment only in major cities of the country. “Our goal is to develop the whole territory, not just individual cities, in order to achieve a balance tailored to the specifics of the needs. We need to develop each region according to its needs, potential, opportunities and resources, and not to finance sectoral investments that are the same for the whole country,” Nikolova commented.

The Deputy Minister pointed out that the new programming period provides new opportunities with support for the development of the territory, through a combination of measures, creating a synergy effect between the individual programmes. Cities to lead the region as centers of growth will also be highlighted. New strategic documents for the development of the regions will be introduced. The idea is to adopt regional schemes for spatial development, which will determine the priorities and needs of the territory. The role of regional development councils will also be strengthened, and their potential will be strengthened so that they can have the necessary capacity at regional level to select the most important development projects.  In addition, project ideas will be able to be submitted by non-governmental organisations, civil society and business. Thus, the regional programme will not be focused on public authorities, but will reflect the needs of society as a whole.

Deputy Minister Denitsa Nikolova also informed that in the new programming period the introduction of a mechanism for simplification of project implementation is envisaged. 

One possibility is the use of single rates in the construction process. “In the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works we will create preconditions for the creation and approval of a national methodology for average costs per unit of product for construction activities. The new regulations make it possible to reach average prices through historical and statistical data and market estimates, with which to determine average costs as eligible under the programme,” Deputy Minister Nikolova said. The methodology will reduce the need for inspections in the implementation of public procurement and will reduce the huge risk of sanctions. “We will create the preconditions, but it is a matter of national decision whether we will take advantage of the regulation, which provides an opportunity to simplify work on projects, because it will facilitate their implementation, reduce the administrative burden of inspections and imposing financial corrections and sanctions,” Nikolova said. She pointed out that the data will be collected from all projects implemented during the first and second programming period in which our country has participated. This way all types of costs for the types of investments and types of construction activities will be tracked.