Over 3 billion have been disbursed under the Operational Programme “Regions in Growth” 2014-2020

Deputy Minister Vitalova: The guiding principle in the implementation of the new programme is the application of the integrated territorial approach

“We have chosen to hold the sixth meeting of the Monitoring Committee of the Development of Regions Programme 2021-2027 in the Kremikov Monastery to demonstrate the continuity and the link between the Operational Programme “Regions for Growth” 2014-2020 (OPRG) and the Development of Regions Programme (DRP), as well as to illustrate in practice the change and the impact achieved with the support of European investments.” This was stated by the Deputy Minister of Regional Development and Public Works and Head of the Managing Authority of the DRP Yura Vitanova at the opening of the meeting. She stressed that the guiding principle in the implementation of the new programme is the application of the integrated territorial approach. In order to be successfully implemented, it is essential that the territorial authorities at regional and municipal level, in active dialogue and cooperation with local communities, participate in the formation and implementation of the vision for socio-economic development of the territory concerned.

Zsolt Sokolay - Deputy Team Leader for Bulgaria in the Directorate General Regional and Settlement Policy of the European Commission underlined the readiness to support together with the team of the Directorate the process of implementation of the new regional approach, the integrated territorial investments and the Just Transition Fund, which should work at a faster pace.

Director General of the Directorate General “Strategic Planning and Regional Development Programmes” Asya Stankova reported on the successful implementation of the Operational Programme “Regions in Growth” 2014-2020. She pointed out that despite the difficulties in the period, with contracted funds of BGN 3.046 billion, BGN 3.030 billion were paid. Projects that could not be implemented within the eligibility period have also been identified, with the crises related to the coronavirus pandemic, economic stagnation and the war in Ukraine being the main reasons for their delay. The Managing Authority (MA) of the OPRG has taken the necessary measures to minimise the risks of loss of funds, with two-stage reporting introduced for part of the grant contracts. With the approval of the Monitoring Committee, an amendment has been made to the programme, increasing European funding for eight priority axes from eighty-five per cent to one per cent of expenditure in the last accounting year. In 2024, 20 contracts with two-stage reporting are to be implemented, for 12 of which final technical reports have already been submitted for all completed activities. For 2025, 18 two-phase programme contracts remain to be implemented, of which 8 should be implemented by the closure deadline set by the MA (31.07.2025). Currently only 2 projects may be declared inactive. In connection with the measures taken by the MA for the implementation of the programme, the estimated amount of unused EU co-financing currently amounts to EUR 5 million of EU funding.

Stankova stressed that the Development of Regions Programme 2021-2027 is being implemented on time. She recalled that before the actual financing of the projects could start, a number of steps had to be implemented, which followed the specific priorities. To date, the programme has contracted BGN 622.4 million (10% of the DRP budget), BGN 194.3 million or 3% of the programme budget have been disbursed.

The resource for the development of the ten largest cities and the 40 smaller municipalities is about BGN 3.5 billion, of which just over BGN 3 billion are grants.

Under Priority 1 “Integrated Urban Development” a total of 207 project ideas were received, 129 of them being integrated project ideas and 78 stand-alone ideas. A call for proposals for direct award of BFP is yet to be launched.

Under Priority 2 “Integrated Territorial Development of Regions”, a total of 165 concepts for integrated territorial investments have been received and 118 have successfully passed the evaluation stage, of which 103 are combined. High interest is reported in the following sectors: road infrastructure; culture, sport, and tourism; green urban environment and security in public spaces; measures to promote economic activity. Lower interest was observed in the areas of housing provision, education, health, social services, energy efficiency in residential buildings. A grant application procedure is underway through specific project proposals. The total budget for the procedure is BGN 1 553 075 665, the deadline for applications is 11.02.2025. The conclusion of contracts and the start of the implementation of projects is expected to be in the first and second quarter of 2025.

At its meeting, the Monitoring Committee approved the methodology and criteria for the selection of operations under the procedure “Diversification and adaptation of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to the economic transition” under Priority 4: “Just Transition” of the programme. A methodology and criteria for the selection of operations under the procedures for support to industrial and logistics parks and zones focusing on the use of clean energy, as well as for the mapping of skills of indirectly affected persons in the areas most affected by the climate transition were also approved. The Indicative Annual Work Programme 2025 for the 2021-2027 DRP was adopted.