Topical Information

On 20 May, the National Association of Municipalities in the Republic of Bulgaria (NAMRB) organized an information event dedicated to the future of European territorial cooperation programmes, with a focus on the URBACT and Interreg programmes. Representatives of the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works (MRDPW) participated in the meeting and presented up-to-date information on the preparation of the European Union’s Multiannual Financial Framework for the next programming period in relation to territorial cooperation programmes.

The event was opened by Yana Docheva, Head of the “Strategic Development of Municipalities” Team at NAMRB. She thanked the participants and the representatives of the MRDPW for their active involvement in the discussion and emphasized the importance of municipalities’ expert experience.

“Good solutions come precisely from the people who work on the ground and face challenges on a daily basis. Our goal is through dialogue to identify solutions and opportunities for development both under the URBACT programme and the other territorial cooperation instruments,” stated Yana Docheva. She also noted that the MRDPW is organizing regional consultations related to the new programming period and territorial cooperation instruments, including an upcoming consultation in Haskovo. According to her, alongside good practices, it is important to discuss the difficulties municipalities face in project implementation.

Desislava Georgieva, Director of the “Territorial Cooperation Management” Directorate at the MRDPW, highlighted the benefits of the long-standing partnership between the ministry and NAMRB.

“Municipalities are our reliable partner in the Interreg programme – nearly one-third of the projects are municipal initiatives. More than 50 municipalities participate in transnational and interregional cooperation programmes such as URBACT, while investments in such initiatives in Bulgaria amount to nearly EUR 36 million,” Desislava Georgieva pointed out. She noted that territorial cooperation programmes should not be viewed solely as a source of funding, but also as an opportunity to develop international partnerships and exchange good practices.

“Your feedback is extremely important so that we know which positions to defend in the programming committees and during the preparation of the application guidelines,” Georgieva added.

The Future of European Funding and Projects Under the Regulations for the 2028–2034 Period

Spas Hristov, expert at the “Territorial Cooperation Management” Directorate of the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works, launched the so-called “workshop,” during which the main directions and participation opportunities under the territorial cooperation programmes in the next programming period were presented.

In his speech, he focused on the upcoming Multiannual Financial Framework of the European Union and the new generation of European legislation that will determine the future of cohesion policy and European funding after 2027.

“We are discussing draft legislative acts, as the regulations are still under review by the European institutions and the wording is not yet final,” emphasized Spas Hristov. According to him, the regulation related to cohesion policy and the Interreg programmes continues to be discussed in the working groups of the EU Council of Ministers, with a final position expected to be formed in mid-June.

He noted that the “Territorial Cooperation Management” Directorate is actively participating in the process of preparing opinions on legislative proposals related both to sectoral policies and to the establishment of a Single EU Fund.

The next long-term budget of the European Union for the period after 2027 will amount to nearly EUR 2 trillion, representing 1.26% of the gross national income of the Member States. The main priorities in the new programming period will focus on competitiveness and the green and digital transition.

Among the most significant changes is the planned establishment of a Single Fund, which will be implemented through 27 national and regional partnership plans – one for each Member State – as well as a separate plan for the Interreg programmes.

Spas Hristov also informed participants that the latest version of the draft cohesion policy regulation explicitly includes the four interregional programmes, among them URBACT. A budget of approximately EUR 10.3 billion is envisaged for the Interreg programmes in the new programming period, with EUR 750 million allocated to the “Interregional Cooperation” strand. The maximum EU co-financing rate remains up to 80%, and the programmes will cover both EU Member States and partner countries.

The main objectives of Interreg are to improve cooperation governance, build a safer and more secure Europe, and support the sustainable development of regions bordering Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine.

The new regulations also include priorities directly relevant to local authorities, such as the development of affordable social housing, sustainable tourism, preservation of cultural heritage, as well as increasing the efficiency of public administration and strengthening institutional capacity. Other objectives are also retained, including transport infrastructure and connectivity, sustainable and efficient wastewater management, waste management, and integrated urban development strategies.

Milen Obretenov, Head of the “Interreg Programmes” Department at the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works, presented the institution’s vision regarding the new territorial cooperation programmes.

“For us, this will be the fourth generation of programmes in which we participate. We decided to adopt a new approach in preparing territorial cooperation programmes in the field of cross-border cooperation,” stated Milen Obretenov.

Instead of priorities being determined solely at national level, the new approach places the people living in border regions at the centre of the process. “Since the beginning of 2026, regional consultations have been held in almost all border regions with the participation of citizens, municipal representatives, and other stakeholders. They demonstrated that the regions are ready to develop broader partnerships and implement more focused and meaningful investments,” he added.

Milen Obretenov noted that this approach has also received support from the other partner countries. During the consultations, the results of ESPON studies were presented, outlining the main trends, challenges, and opportunities facing border territories in Europe, including Bulgarian border regions with Romania and Greece. “There is significant interest in programmes covering the Black Sea Basin and the Danube Region,” Obretenov also pointed out.

Special attention was also paid to the changes in territorial zoning at NUTS 2 level, which will enter into force on 1 January 2027. The establishment of four regions will provide a different perspective on cross-border territories while also addressing population imbalances in certain areas.

Opportunities for Municipalities Under URBACT

In the second part of the event, Tsvetomir Tsanev, State Expert on Interreg Programmes at the “Territorial Cooperation Management” Directorate of the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works, presented the opportunities for municipalities to participate in URBACT planning networks.

He highlighted the new call for cooperation and planning networks, which offers municipalities the opportunity to exchange experience, develop joint solutions, and plan the sustainable development of urban territories.

“This is currently the only open opportunity for municipalities to submit project proposals, as most other programmes have already allocated their available resources or are in the implementation phase,” stated Tsvetomir Tsanev.

The networks are aimed at moving from strategic planning to real action and enable partners to jointly develop and test solutions for urban policy development.

“A planning network represents a partnership group in which participants plan activities with a common focus, while at local level each partner implements pilot projects through which the developed solutions are tested in a real environment,” Tsanev explained. He added that this supports strategic planning, with partnerships including between 6 and 8 organizations and project duration set at 30 months. The total budget of each network reaches EUR 1 million, with around 50% of the funds intended for pilot activities.

European funding amounts to 80% of the budget, 15% is national co-financing, and 5% is the partners’ own contribution.

The main themes under the programme include transport and connectivity, social inclusion and affordable housing, public health and quality of life, economic development and innovation, jobs and skills, energy efficiency, and good governance with citizen participation.

“The programme themes remain broad, provided that projects are aligned with the strategic priorities of the EU Urban Agenda,” he noted.

It was also pointed out that six Bulgarian municipalities – Vratsa, Sofia, Dobrich, Varna, Razlog, and Gabrovo – are already participating in active planning networks. In addition to municipalities, regional and national authorities, municipal agencies, districts and regions, non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, and other stakeholders may also participate in the projects.

Good Municipal Practices

Simeon Petkov from the National Association of Municipalities in the Republic of Bulgaria presented examples of successfully implemented URBACT initiatives in Bulgaria.

“Several years ago, we implemented a URBACT project within which we discussed various practices for the development of industrial zones and the urban environment. Even without major investments, we achieved good results because we used and adapted foreign experience,” he stated. As one of the successful examples, Petkov highlighted the opening of the park of the “G. S. Rakovski” Military Academy in Sofia for public use.

“This was a space that had long been inaccessible to citizens. After reaching agreement with the academy’s leadership, the park was opened and very quickly became a popular place among Sofia residents,” said Simeon Petkov.

According to him, such initiatives demonstrate that significant results can be achieved with limited resources through partnership and the sharing of good practices.

During the meeting, successful examples from Sofia, Varna, Vratsa, Gabrovo, and Razlog were also presented.

A representative of Sofia Municipality also emphasized the importance of NAMRB’s electronic newsletter, which supports municipalities in finding international partners for the preparation of project proposals.

The event was organized within NAMRB’s role as a contact point for the URBACT programme and provided a valuable opportunity for Bulgarian municipalities to familiarize themselves with the upcoming changes in European territorial cooperation programmes and prepare for active participation in the new programming period.