The Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development will cooperate in the preparation of the new operational programme for regional development

In the process of preparation of the new operational programme for regional development, as well as in the process of defining the model and approach of territorial investment, the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works (MRDPW) will cooperate with the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD). A key point in these processes is the structuring of an integrated territorial approach to investment in urban and regional development, which requires coordination and enhanced cooperation between the managing authorities of all operational programmes, line ministries, local authorities, the NGO sector and business.

This was said by the Deputy Minister of Regional Development and Public Works and Head of OPRG MA Denitsa Nikolova during today’s first meeting of the Steering Committee on the Consulting Services Agreement in support of the preparations for the next programming period between the MRDPW and the IBRD.

The Committee aims to monitor and coordinate the implementation of joint activities, with the participation of representatives of all managing authorities of operational programmes, the Council of Ministers and the Bank.

“Within the scope of the Agreement, we will coordinate the role of the World Bank in providing further details on how we can make territorial investment effective by uniting the efforts of all governing bodies and other programmes related to the future programming period and the investment opportunities in it,” Denitsa Nikolova said. She explained that the expectations are to work with the World Bank on the technology of implementation of integrated territorial investments. 

The Bank will also support us in drawing up the Strategy of the future operational programme for the development of the regions, it became clear at today’s meeting.

The approach for integrated measures between the operational programmes in the period 2021-2027 will build capacity at the regional level for investment selection, so that at the end of the next programming period there will be a degree of preparedness for decentralised management of funds and projects tailored to the needs of the territory.

At today’s first meeting of the Committee were presented and discussed the new moments in the preparation of the future operational programme for regional development, including the planned expansion of the functions of regional development councils, as well as opportunities to change their structure to allow investment choices with funds from the programmes to be implemented at the regional level in accordance with the specifics of the territory and the opportunities for development.