Topical Information

More than 200 mayors from across Bulgaria participated in the National Municipal Meeting organised by the National Association of Municipalities in the Republic of Bulgaria (NAMRB), which brought together representatives of local and central executive authorities in a single forum. Held shortly after the new Government took office, the event provided an opportunity for direct dialogue on the most pressing challenges facing Bulgarian municipalities.

In an interview for Bulgarian National Television’s morning programme The Day Begins, NAMRB Executive Director Silvia Georgieva highlighted the significance of the meeting and the agreements reached with the Prime Minister and members of the Government.

“Yesterday, we had the opportunity to discuss with the Prime Minister and government ministers both the most immediate challenges facing municipalities and longer-term issues of strategic importance.”

Among the key topics discussed were municipal projects financed under Bulgaria’s Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP). According to Ms Georgieva, a significant number of projects only began earlier this year due to delays in the signing of contracts by central government institutions, placing their completion within the original deadlines at risk.

As a result of the discussions, municipalities received assurances that the deadlines for the physical implementation of projects would be extended at least until 31 July, and for some projects until mid-August. This additional time will enable local authorities and construction contractors to complete ongoing works and ensure the successful delivery of the projects.

“This is extremely important for municipalities. We received understanding and support from the ministers and their teams, and the mayors’ greatest concern has now been addressed.”

At present, 735 projects for the renovation of multi-family residential buildings are being implemented under the Recovery and Resilience Plan, with nearly 500 already completed. Construction is also underway on student accommodation facilities and a number of social service projects, for which the additional implementation period is considered essential to ensure successful completion.

The National Municipal Meeting reaffirmed the importance of partnership between central and local government and delivered concrete outcomes on some of the most important issues facing Bulgarian municipalities during the current programming period.