Territorial Planning and Administrative-Territorial Structure Directorate

Director: arch. Pencho Dimitrov

E-mail address: PDimitrov@mrrb.government.bg

Department "Administrative-Territorial Structure"
Head of Unit: Mikhail Vassilev

National Expertise Department
Head of Unit: Maria Naydenova

Department "Devices of Territory"
Head of Unit: Gabriela Kamenova

Functions of the Directorate:
1. Assists the Minister in the implementation of the spatial planning policy in his competence under the Spatial Planning Act, the Black Sea Coast Planning Act, the Maritime Spaces, Inland Waterways and Ports Act of the Republic of Bulgaria and others, and in the coordination of the activities of the central and territorial bodies of the executive power, the bodies of local self-government and the local administration;
2. It monitors the implementation of the normative acts in the field of spatial planning, which are within its competence, makes proposals and, together with the competent directorates of the Ministry and other administrations, develops draft normative acts on spatial planning, the administrative-territorial structure of the country, the decentralization of the state government and the activities of the local authorities, and develops methodological guidelines on their implementation;
3. Prepares opinions and coordinates draft development plans and their amendments in accordance with the Spatial Planning Act, the Black Sea Coast Planning Act, the Maritime Spaces, Inland Waterways and Ports Act of the Republic of Bulgaria, etc.;
4. Prepares opinions on draft normative acts of other state bodies related to the spatial planning, administrative-territorial structure of the country, local self-government and decentralization of the state government;
5. Organizes and provides the activity of the National Expert Council on Spatial Planning and Regional Policy (NESDRP) for consideration of draft general and detailed development plans, as well as specific rules and regulations to them under the Spatial Planning Act, the Black Sea Coast Planning Act, the Maritime Spaces, Inland Waterways and Ports Act of the Republic of Bulgaria, etc.;
6. Assists the Minister in the appointment of specialized expert councils for special objects related to the defence and security of the country;
7. Assists the Minister in authorising the elaboration, adoption and approval of:
a) General development plans of the Black Sea municipalities and for settlements of national importance;
b) Detailed development plans, which are within its competence under the Spatial Planning Act, the Maritime Spaces, Inland Waterways and Ports of the Republic of Bulgaria Act, etc.;
8. Assists the Minister in coordinating and approving investment projects and issuing building permits for sites that are within his competence under the Spatial Planning Act, the Maritime Spaces, Inland Waterways and Ports of the Republic of Bulgaria Act, etc.;
9. Assists the Minister in considering proposals of municipal councils for allowing deviations under the conditions and by the order of normative acts that are within his competence;
10. Assist the Minister in registering and issuing certificates for commissioning completed constructions under his powers and keep a register of issued certificates;
11. Keeps a register of the technical passports of the completed constructions, for which the building permit has been issued by the Minister of Regional Development and Public Works;
12. Organizes, maintains and ensures the use of the NESUTRP archive;
13. Examines and prepares answers to proposals, complaints and signals of individuals and legal entities on issues related to spatial planning, within the competence of the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works;
14. In the area of administrative-territorial planning and decentralisation:
a) Proposes and supports the conduct of procedures under the Law on the Administrative-Territorial Structure of the Republic of Bulgaria;
b) Organizes the development, monitoring and updating of the categorization of the administrative-territorial and territorial units in the country;
c) Collects, maintains and analyzes information about administrative-territorial changes;
d) Supports the maintenance and updating of the Unified Classifier of Administrative-Territorial and Territorial Units and the National Register of Settlements;
e) Carries out the activities of creating, maintaining and storing a register of agglomerations under the Environmental Noise Protection Act;
f) Organizes the development of strategic and programmatic documents in the field of decentralization of government and coordinates their discussion and coordination;
g) Performs the functions of the Secretariat of the Council for decentralization of the state government;
h) Initiates, coordinates and participates in various projects and programs in the field of development of local self-government and inter-municipal cooperation;
i) Participates in the regular sessions of bodies and working groups of the Council of Europe and coordinates the relationship between the institutions of the Council of Europe and the local and regional authorities in the Republic of Bulgaria;
k) Supports the conduct of a procedure for determining the composition of the Bulgarian representatives in the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe and the Committee of the Regions to the European Union;
l) Organizes and coordinates the implementation of the Strategy for Innovation and Good Governance at local level of the Council of Europe and the participation of the Bulgarian municipalities;
Carries out functions of the Secretariat of the Commission for the award of the Label for innovation and good governance at local level.