site.btaBTA's "Europe in the Balkans" Conference in Targovishte Presents Successful EU-Backed Projects

Participants in the local conference on the "Europe in the Balkans: Common Future" project, which took place on Tuesday at the National Press Club of the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) in Targovishte, discussed the impact of EU-funded projects in Targovishte Region in 2014-2020 and new developments for the 2021-2027 programming period.

Targovishte Regional Governor Gergana Tsoneva opened the conference by saying that funding from the EU has an important economic role in the region and that the the benefits of the European programmes are visible to everyone. She noted that the implemented projects in the Targovishte region are not few in number, with great significance and scope even for the whole North-Eastern region of Bulgaria. "The accumulated experience, expertise and capacity in the working groups for the implementation of European projects is the basis for future development", added Tsoneva.

Antoaneta Marcheva, Expert at the Regional Information Center in Targovishte, said that 260 contracts were concluded in the Targovishte region between 2022 and April 2024, with the total value of the projects amounting to BGN 131 million. 8 contracts were concluded under the Operational Programme Human Resources Development for a total value of BGN 700,177, while 12 contracts with a grand amounting to BGN 945,027 were concluded under the Operational Programme Innovations and Competitiveness. 

Marcheva pointed out that there are 164 projects under the Operational Programme Human Resources Development in the Targovishte region worth BGN 70 million, of which 11 are municipal projects worth nearly BGN 10 million. 55 contracts for nearly BGN 47 million have been concluded under the National Recovery and Sustainability Plan. They are primarily aimed at technology and cyber security, construction of photovoltaic plants for self-consumption and support for energy-efficient street lighting systems.

The BTA project "Europe in the Balkans: A Common Future" is implemented with the support of the European Commission and builds on the already implemented "Europe in Bulgaria: A Common Future" project. Among its objectives are a better understanding of the role of cohesion policy, including in the Balkans; raising awareness of projects financed by the European Union through cohesion policy; promoting an open dialogue on the results of its implementation at the local level, as well as civil participation in issues related to cohesion policy.

The next conference on the BTA project will be held on April 24 in Shumen.