site.btaBTA Signs Eighth Collaborative Project with EU Institutions Since 2021

 The Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) has signed the eighth collaborative project with European Union institutions since 2021, Director General Kiril Valchev said in Strasbourg as he attended the first day of the tenth European Parliament on Tuesday at the invitation of the European Parliament. 

Valchev said that "Europe in the Balkans: Closer through Knowledge" follows up on the "Europe in the Balkans: Cohesion Future" project, with the latter ending this summer. Both projects are implemented by BTA and enjoy the support of the European Commission to present the European cohesion policies of Bulgaria and its neighbours in the Balkans.

"The upcoming project will highlight the shared knowledge and skills, drawing people in Europe closer together. It will not only focus on the EU cohesion funds that Bulgaria and other Balkan countries receive, but also on Bulgaria's contributions to Europe. This aligns with the new joint initiative of BTA, Bulgarian National Television (BNT), and Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) – "14 Centuries of Bulgaria in Europe". This initiative commemorates notable Bulgarian historical milestones that are integral to European history, culminating in 2032. That year will mark the 1400th anniversary of the first Bulgarian state created in the territory of Europe – Old Great Bulgaria in 632," Valchev said.

He noted that the project will utilize the upgraded and enlarged network of 40 national press clubs of BTA across Bulgaria, neighboring countries in the Balkans, and areas in other countries with Bulgarian communities. He added that this initiative offers Bulgarians, even those who are residents of smaller towns, and Bulgarian communities worldwide, the chance to engage in a broader European dialogue.

Valchev seized his invitation opportunity to talk to Bulgarian MEPs, inviting them to participate in events organized under this project.

"The project 'Europe in the Balkans: Cohesion through Knowledge' is a step towards two of the strategic goals in the BTA's development programme for the period 2021-2025, 'The Future of the BTA – Knowledge and Freedom'", added Valchev.

He explained that through the "Knowledge" component of the project, BTA strives to deliver a broad spectrum of real news from around the globe to Bulgaria, and from Bulgaria to the world at large. "Media and Knowledge" will be the topic of the 20th World Meeting of Bulgarian Media, organized by BTA and set to open on May 24, 2025, in Sofia.

"BTA's strategic goal through the "Freedom" part of the project contained a crucial milestone. To commemorate its 125th anniversary, BTA has made its news fully accessible for free. To ensure enduring freedom of speech, BTA restricted additional funding solely to organizations where Bulgaria holds membership, like the EU, exemplified by the contract the agency signed on the first day of the new European Parliament in Strasbourg," said Valchev.

The project "Europe in the Balkans: Cohesion through Knowledge", which will start on November 1, 2024, and will end on September 30, 2025, promotes communication activities that highlight the Balkan countries' contribution to the European Union's development, and the European Commission's Cohesion Policy across all six regions in Bulgaria and the Balkans. Hybrid events will take place in 30 locations across Bulgaria, including Sofia, Blagoevgrad, Burgas, Varna, Veliko Tarnovo, Vidin, Vratsa, Gabrovo, Dobrich, Kazanlak, Kardzhali, Kyustendil, Lovech, Montana, Pazardzhik, Pernik, Pleven, Plovdiv, Razgrad, Ruse, Samokov, Silistra, Sliven, Smolyan, Sofia, Stara Zagora, Targovishte, Haskovo, Shumen, and Yambol.

The program also features six cross-border conferences in Belgrade, Bosilegrad, Bucharest, Edirne, Skopje, and Thessaloniki, a 3D mapping screening at the BTA building in Sofia to celebrate Europe Day on 9 May 2025, and an international conference. A minimum of 70 articles, short videos, infographics, and animated infographics, complemented by a planned social media campaign, will be published as part of the project. It is worth a total of EUR 269,712.76.

BTA has successfully completed three European projects and is currently engaged in the implementation of four additional ones.

From November 1, 2021, to June 30, 2022, EP supported BTA in organizing a series of discussions, titled "Bulgarian Voices for Europe". It aimed to promote the Conference on the Future of Europe and foster public debate. The project included 22 events, an extensive online and social media campaign, and the distribution of 30 press releases. The European funding allocated for this initiative amounted to EUR 142,850.35.

BTA has also launched a four-year training programme for young journalists, focusing on the European Union and the European Parliament, in partnership with EP. Running from 13 December 2022 to 13 December 2026, the initiative aims to enhance understanding of EU operations, the role of the European Parliament, and the principles of parliamentary democracy. Sessions are scheduled biannually, with a total European funding allocation of EUR 158,000. This initiative highlights the commitment to educating media professionals on European governance and democratic values.

From November 2022 to September 2023, BTA, with the support of EC, executed the project "Europe in Bulgaria: Cohesion Future." This initiative aimed to raise awareness of the EC Cohesion Policy across Bulgaria's six planning regions. The project featured 30 hybrid events, a radio campaign, and extensive media content including 30 press articles, 30 short videos, and 60 animated infographics, alongside a social media campaign. Discussions focused on recent updates in the EU Cohesion Policy for 2021-2027 and reviewed achievements from 2014 to 2020. European funding for the project amounted to EUR 273 292,27.

Starting 1 November 2023, the "Europe in the Balkans: Cohesion Future" project, focusing on the European convergence policies of Bulgaria and its Balkan neighbours, is being implemented. The programme features 29 hybrid events throughout Bulgaria, alongside six cross-border conferences held in Belgrade, Bosilegrad, Bucharest, Edirne, Skopje, and Thessaloniki. Additionally, an international conference will take place in Albena, Bulgaria. The European Commission is backing a new initiative that includes the production of 70 articles, videos, and infographics, alongside an equal number of animated infographics. The project also features a social media campaign, all of which are scheduled for completion by September 30, 2024.

BTA is also a partner of the European Newsroom initiative, with the leading partner being the German news agency (DPA). In the period from January 1, 2022, to December 31, 2023, the project included the opening of a common editorial office of 16 news agencies in Brussels, the creation of a common information platform for EU-related news and fact-checking training for journalists.

The project is funded by the European Commission with EUR 1.76 million and aims to support the fight against misinformation as well as the common effort for a diverse news coverage of Europe. Since the start of the collaboration, the project has involved AFP (France), ANSA (Italy), ADJERPRESS (Romania), APA (Austria), ATA (Albania), Belga (Belgium), BTA (Bulgaria), DPA (Germany), EFE and Europa Press (both from Spain), FENA (Bosnia and Herzegovina), HINA (Croatia), MIA (North Macedonia), STA (Slovenia), Tanjug (Serbia) and TASR (Slovakia).

From January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2025, the second phase of a major editorial project will be implemented, involving 23 news agencies in Brussels. This phase will continue the use of a unified editorial framework and integrate artificial intelligence into the existing information platform. The focus will be on producing news related to the European Union and providing daily updates on EU activities. New participants in this phase include ANA-MPA (Greece), ANP (Netherlands), CTK (Czech Republic), PAP (Poland), Lusa (Portugal), Ritzau (Denmark) and TT (Sweden).

The European Newsroom, strategically positioned in Brussels close to the headquarters of European institutions and within the Belga news agency building, provides 45 workstations for correspondents from various agencies. The managing board comprises representatives from DPA, ANSA, AJERPRESS, HINA, STA, and TT. Additionally, the Ukrainian agency UKRINFORM has joined the newsroom under the Solidarity Partnership initiative.

The European Newsroom is funded by the European Commission. BTA’s budget for the first period of the implementation of the European Newsroom project was EUR 77,040, and for the second it was EUR 82,925.

As of December 14, 2021, BTA has partnered with the European Commission's New European Bauhaus initiative, aimed at fostering more beautiful, sustainable, and inclusive ways of cohabitation. The agency is undertaking multiple projects to revamp its head office, situated near the Eagles Bridge in one of Sofia's most polluted areas. The British Transport Authority (BTA) has embarked on a project to enhance the energy efficiency of its headquarters. The initiative involves implementing energy-saving measures and establishing facilities for renewable electricity generation. This move aims to significantly cut down on the consumption of electricity and heat at the BTA building.

Following Bulgaria's EU accession, BTA has reinstated a permanent correspondent in Brussels. Nikolay Zhelyazkov has held this position since 2011. Prior to Zhelyazkov, Atanas Matev served as the agency's initial correspondent during the 1980s. Between the early 1990s and Bulgaria's EU accession, with Hristo Petrov as the correspondent, BTA lacked a permanent representative in Brussels.

BTA covered the opening and the first session of the new EP, sending five special correspondents: Iva Toncheva, Ivan Lazarov, Nikolay Zhelyazkov, Martina Gancheva, and Petra Kurteva. The team coverage is available for use by all media outlets, provided they credit BTA.