A technical meeting was held in Sofia concerning Bulgaria’s negotiations with the EC regarding the partnership agreement 2014 – 2020

On 6 February, a day before the meeting of the European Council on the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF)  2014- 2020, representatives of the Bulgarian Government and the European Commission held a work meeting concerning negotiations for the following programme period. The leading topic was that of Bulgaria's priorities to be financed through European Funds up to 2020. In the course of discussions, Bulgaria's progress in planning the following programme period was discussed, as well as the financial instruments programming to be used for achieving the goals set.

Special focus was placed on the strategic goal for developing individual sectors and types of investments that could contribute to the economic and social development of the country. A review was also made of the fulfillment of the preliminary conditions set by the Commission. Those were requirements that bound the utilization of European resources with the implementation of key reforms in the Member States that would guarantee investment efficiency.

"The administration strives to negotiate as quickly as possible the main details of priority areas to be co-financed with European Funds, so that the final version of the Agreement can be ready as early as the EC adopts regulations in the beginning of the summer. A key task is also working on the texts of all the new operational programmes, so that we are ready to sign the Partnership Agreement by the end of this year," said Minister Donchev. "Only then will we be able to initiate the new programme period at its very beginning."

Additional information:

At the end of last year, the European Commission presented its formal position on drawing-up the Partnership Agreement and on the priorities to be financed through EU Funds in Bulgaria during the following programme period. The document presented market the start of our country's negotiations with EC about the operational programmes' funding areas up to 2020. In its position, the European Commission presented its views concerning the main funding priorities in Bulgaria that would stimulate economic growth, employment and improvement of the business environment. The Commission pointed out five mutually reinforcing funding priorities having a potential contribution to sustainable growth and job creation. The priority areas are connected with participation in the labour market, innovation-favourable business environment, infrastructure development, efficiency of resource management in the economy and the capacity of the public administration and the judiciary.