site.btaPresident Plevneliev Confers with EU Committee of Regions President Markkula

President Plevneliev Confers with EU Committee of Regions President Markkula

Sofia, April 19 (BTA) - President Rosen Plevneliev conferred here with President of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) Markku Markkula, Plevneliev's Press Secretariat reported late on Monday.

The two agreed that the Bulgarian Presidency of the EU in 2018 must plan early its specific priorities, which could include the development of the Danube region, of small and medium European cities, and energy efficiency.

Markkula is paying a visit to Bulgaria for the annual Webit.Festival, which will be opened by Plevneliev on Wednesday at Sofia Tech Park.

Plevneliev and Markkula have discussed the instruments for encouraging innovations, technologies and entrepreneurship with a focus on European cities and regions. Among CoR's main priorities are sustainable development and creation of new jobs, Markkula noted. He introduced Plevneliev to the latest initiatives of the EU's consultative body for encouraging cooperation between young people from different European regions and improving their entrepreneurial skills.

CoR's initiatives include the creation of "innovation camps" in various European regions, which would stimulate young Europeans to jointly develop innovative ideas for doing business. President Plevneliev has encouraged the creation of such a camp in Bulgaria, noting that it could be located in one of this country's northern regions.

The EU funds must follow sensible projects of European municipalities and regions and not selected local authorities. This largely requires changing the regional level way of thinking and Bulgaria is making progress in that field. The State must serve as a development platform for both businesses and the regions, the two noted during their meeting.