Methodologies and selection criteria have been approved for two procedures under the Development of Regions Programme for nearly BGN 940 million.

Methodologies and criteria for selection of operations under two procedures under Priority Axis 4: “Support for productive investments in large enterprises in the Stara Zagora region” and “Socio-economic transformation of mining sites” under the Development of Regions 2021-2027 Programme have been approved. The first is worth BGN 463 million and the second - BGN 476 million.

This was decided by the Programme Monitoring Committee.

During the meeting Yura Vitanova - Deputy Minister of Regional Development and Public Works and Head of the Managing Authority of the Programme announced that over BGN 192 million will be allocated for increasing the energy efficiency of multi-family residential buildings in Stara Zagora, Pernik and Kyustendil. The funds are under the Development of Regions Programme 2021-2027, Priority 4 “Just Transition”.

“Last year we managed to catch up with the accumulated delay in the implementation of the programme, we accelerated the application processes for EU funds so as not to lose the funding opportunities and now we are at the stage of signing contracts,” the deputy minister said. She stressed that a total of 329 project proposals have been submitted from the three regions, for over BGN 400 million, and the evaluation of the submitted projects was completed in January this year. A total of 129 projects have been approved for funding. The aid contracts are to be concluded as soon as possible.  

“Our goal is to make all investments visible to the citizens and to change our environment,” the Deputy Minister stressed and added that the priority in the work of her team is to ensure the appropriate investment of EU funds and resources and the quality implementation of the approved projects.

“We have also managed to announce a procedure for financing logistics parks, and the procedure for diversification of small and medium-sized enterprises is currently underway,” the deputy regional minister further informed.

The implementation of the activities of the approved projects will support measures to increase the energy efficiency of multi-family residential buildings, including reducing energy poverty, in the districts most affected by the climate transition, Pernik, Kyustendil and Stara Zagora, as well as in the municipalities of Nova Zagora, Yambol, Harmanli, Topolovgrad, Dimitrovgrad, Haskovo, Elhovo and Sliven. After the implementation of the energy saving measures, the three regions should achieve energy consumption class “B” or higher, thus supporting the transition to climate neutrality of the three regions. The grant procedure is implemented through the Fair Transition Fund and national co-financing.

Under Priority 1 “Integrated Urban Development” of the Programme “Development of Regions” 2021-2027, 70 project ideas for a total value of over BGN 712 million have been approved for the 10 urban municipalities - beneficiaries of the first phase of the programme. These are Sofia Municipality, Blagoevgrad, Burgas, Stara Zagora, Plovdiv, Ruse, Veliko Tarnovo, Varna, Vidin and Pleven. By 31 March this year the beneficiaries have to submit project proposals for the second phase of evaluation.

In parallel with the accelerated work on Priority 1, the Managing Authority is also working to catch up the delay on Priority 2 “Integrated territorial development of the regions”, it became clear from the words of the Deputy Minister. Currently, 34 Integrated Territorial Investment Concepts are being evaluated in the second phase.

During the meeting, the current status of the closure of the 2014-2020 OPRD was also presented.