Deputy Minister Desislava Georgieva signed contracts for 14 million euros for the development of Bulgaria's cross-border regions with Serbia and the Republic of North Macedonia

EUR 14 million will be invested for the development of business, municipalities and the non-governmental sector in the border settlements of Bulgaria with Serbia and the Republic of North Macedonia. The funds are provided under the Interreg cross-border cooperation programmes between Bulgaria and the two neighbouring countries managed by the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works. Deputy Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Desislava Georgieva signed 24 contracts with beneficiaries from the three countries who will implement important projects for local communities. "The measures cover a variety of sectors and have been prioritised by representatives of local communities within the integrated territorial development approach. In the 2021-2027 programmes, local needs and the voice of the local community on priority investment measures were central. We believe that in partnership and open dialogue with local authorities, civil society and business, we achieve better and visible results for the population in cross-border regions", said Deputy Minister Georgieva.

Under the programme with Serbia, 13 projects worth EUR 8.1 million were contracted. They will introduce a new generation of public services in the cross-border region, from modern education and digital administrative solutions to smart urban management, green energy and integrated health services. Bulgarian and Serbian partners will open start-up centers for young entrepreneurs, a center for environmental education, a recycling site for large-scale waste, car charging stations and photovoltaic systems for public buildings. Services will be introduced, including medical and social care for remote settlements, smart municipal maintenance management systems, digital services for businesses.

The municipalities of Pirdop and Palilula will build recreation areas with smart benches and street lighting. Kyustendil and Bosilegrad will buy specialized equipment for snow removal, mowing and maintenance of public spaces and will introduce a digital system with GPS tracking and a mobile application for faster response to signals from citizens. Vratsa, Vladicin Khan and the Yablanitsa and Pchinya District Development Center will build solar sheds, charging stations for electric vehicles and photovoltaic systems for public buildings. There are also trainings for students, teachers and citizens on the use of renewable energy. The municipalities of Dupnitsa and Meroshina signed a contract for the renovation of social centers and the provision of electric cars and charging stations for mobile social teams.

The State Forest Management Enterprise ‘Serbiașumi’, the North-West State Enterprise ‘Vratsa’ and the Municipality of Chiprovtsi will modernise the forest nursery in Pirot, build a Centre for Ecological Education and Forest Pedagogy in Chiprovtsi and put in place joint services for training, counselling and digital monitoring of forest ecosystems. Through a joint project, the Municipality of Slivnitsa, the Pirot Health Centre and the Protectors Association of Montana will buy electric vehicles for mobile medical and social services, modernise premises for the provision of integrated care and create a digital platform for coordination between institutions. With EU funding, the Economic Development Agency – Kostinbrod and the Civic Association TEAM – Leskovac will develop a teacher training programme, an e-learning platform and practical learning materials to introduce the themes of sustainable development and green transition in school education.

11 joint projects of enterprises from Blagoevgrad, Petrich, Sandanski, Gotse Delchev, Kolarovo and Logodaj and their partners from Kochani, Strumica, Valandovo, Vinitsa, Kumanovo and Shtip have been supported with EUR 5.8 million from the Bulgaria-North Macedonia Programme. They are in the field of food industry, furniture production, packaging, metal and plastic products, hospitality, wine and energy. With the agreed funds, companies representing small and medium-sized businesses in the region will be able to buy new equipment and information systems, digitise production processes and upskill their employees.

Among the funded initiatives is a project of a company from Blagoevgrad and its partner from Kocani, which will develop an energy-efficient stainless steel boiler that ensures high efficiency in the use of independent energy sources and will be with increased safety. Companies from Strumica and Sandanski will develop innovative packaging in which Braille will be integrated. Joint projects will also be implemented for shock freezing and optical sorting, as well as for the creation of new food products. Organizations from Gotse Delchev and Strumica will create reusable packaging from recycled material. Partners from Sandanski and Strumica will develop a joint prototype of an office and home smart safe. Wineries from Stip and Logodage will modernize wine production through the implementation of automated systems, and the project also includes the creation of a wine tourism route. Companies from Petrich and Vinitsa receive funding to develop a prototype of a solar tracker aimed at integrating engineering solar techniques into digital design.

“With these latest contracts, we are investing all the financial resources of the Interreg programmes for which our country is the managing authority – Bulgaria – Serbia, Bulgaria – North Macedonia and Bulgaria – Turkey. The beneficiaries have in our presence a reliable partner in the implementation process, and our common goals are to raise living standards and support competitiveness in border regions,” stressed Deputy Minister Georgieva.