EU countries with six priorities for regional development and reducing regional imbalances

Bulgaria will support peripheral and lagging regions and build better rural-urban links in the new programming period

Europe is setting six priorities for developing regions and reducing imbalances in them over the next ten years.  These are set out in the Territorial Agenda 2030 "A Future for All Places", which was adopted today at an online meeting of ministers responsible for territorial cohesion policy in EU Member States, organised by the German Presidency of the Council of the Union.  

Bulgaria was represented at the summit by the Deputy Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Denitsa Nikolova.

The Territorial Agenda 2030 is a fundamental strategic document for implementing regional policy in the EU and promoting territorial cohesion in Europe.  It underlines the importance of strategic spatial planning and aims to strengthen the territorial dimension of sectoral policies at all levels of government, a sustainable future for all localities and the achievement of the sustainable development goals in Europe.

Balanced territorial development, functional regions with fewer inequalities, integration and cooperation across administrative-territorial and national borders, a healthy environment, a circular economy and sustainable digital and physical connectivity are the six priorities set out in the document. They focus on the specific territories to which countries' measures should be applied to address their challenges in an integrated manner.

"Bulgaria fully supports the Territorial Agenda 2030 as an important step in addressing the challenges of sustainable territorial development.  The principles set out in the document will also contribute to the implementation of the current regional policy reform in Bulgaria", Deputy Minister Denitsa Nikolova said at the meeting.    She added that the document gives special focus and measures to functional zones, the implementation of integrated projects and the interaction of stakeholders in partnerships to achieve the goals.  For example, a strand oriented towards the implementation of measures beyond the administrative boundaries of settlements is highlighted, thus focusing on the specific challenges and needs of functional zones with similar geographical characteristics and resources - such as mountain, sea, Danube, less developed areas, etc.

The deputy regional minister pointed out that the main objective of the Bulgarian government in the regional development policy is to create vital, strong and sustainable regions as a response to the unfavourable demographic trends and deepening inter- and intra-regional disparities.  To this end, the strengthening of multilevel governance, place-based approach, territorial impacts and coherence of coordinated sectoral policies, cooperation between territories at all levels are at stake.  In the next programming period, investment in regional development will be focused through a more individualised approach, taking into account the level of development achieved together with local potentials and problems to support both developed and peripheral and lagging regions, creating better links between rural and urban areas. All the measures will be set out in the Integrated Territorial Development Strategies for NUTS 2 regions to increase the economic potential of the regions and use local resources," Nikolova added.

Actions to be announced under the plan to support its implementation relate to the future of lagging regions, sectoral policies on spatial imbalances and territorial impact assessment, the importance of small settlements for territorial development, cross-border functional zones, adaptation to climate change and resilience, etc.