Over 38 million euros will be invested in projects between Bulgaria and Serbia

More than 38m euros will be invested in the border regions of Bulgaria and Serbia over the next seven years. This is provided by the Cross-Border Cooperation Programme for the period 2021-2027. The Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works published for public discussion the draft programme before sending it for approval by the European Commission. Among the main goals are to improve the competitiveness of micro, small and medium - sized enterprises in the region, to create jobs in them, to promote the joint provision of tourist services, and to manage disaster risk.

More than € 8m of the resource is earmarked for a strategic project pre-defined by both sides to prepare the population for disaster response and to improve the capacity of professional teams and volunteers to respond to emergencies. Its partners are the General Directorate for Fire Safety and Protection of the Population at the Ministry of Interior, the Emergency Management Sector at the Ministry of Interior of Serbia, the Academy of the Ministry of Interior and volunteer organisations.

More than € 6 million has been earmarked for micro, small and medium - sized enterprise (SME) projects. The investments are aimed at modernisation of the technological process, optimisation of production, digitalisation, training of employees and finding new markets.

Around € 23 million is earmarked for the development of new joint regional tourism products, restoration, preservation and presentation of cultural heritage sites, strengthening links between natural and cultural sites, including by improving the bicycle network and connecting road infrastructure in the implementation of integrated territorial strategy for the development of the cross-border region, etc.

The Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works (MRDPW) will continue to perform the functions of the Managing Authority of the cross-border cooperation program between Bulgaria and Serbia in the next programming period 2021-2027.

Public discussion of the prepared final version of the Cross-border Cooperation Programme INTERREG IPA Bulgaria-Serbia 2021-2027 will be held online (via WebEx) on February 22, 2022 at 15:00. Those wishing to take part in the public discussion can register by February 15, 2022 at ma_ipacbc@mrrb.government.bg

The full text of the draft Programme is published for public consultations on the Public Consultation Portal, the Unified Information Portal: www.eufunds.bg and on the website of the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works.

Comments and opinions on the published draft of the program can be submitted by March 4, 2022 in the office of the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works at the address: Sofia, № 17-19 ‘St. St. Cyril and Methodius’ str., as well as in electronic form at the e-mail address ma_ipacbc@mrrb.government.bg.