site.btaParticipants in "Europe in the Balkans: A Common Future" Conference Discuss EU Funded Projects Implemented in Lovech

Lovech hosted the last local conference under BTA's project "Europe in the Balkans: A Common Future" on Thursday. The forum took place at the Bulgarian News Agency’s National Press Club and was attended by representatives of the local administration, business, academia and the Regional Information Centre. The participants discussed the new developments in the 2021-2027 programming period and the results achieved in the previous programming period.

Lovech Mayor Stratsimir Petkov noted it was a privilege for him to participate in BTA's conference, in which the strategies for the development of Lovech Region are outlined. He also emphasized the work on joint projects with the municipalities of Troyan and Letnitsa. According to Petkov, BTA's project makes it possible to translate institutional talk about EU projects into a popular language. In this way, the subject of European programmes and EU funding becomes more accessible to more people, so they can understand what the municipalities plan to do, as well as the meaning of the Integrated Territorial Approach.

Petar Dekov, head of the Projects, Programmes and Investments Directorate of the local administration, said that Lovech Municipality implemented 29 projects worth over BGN 28 million from the European Structural and Investment Funds in the 2014-2020 programming period. The projects were implemented under Operational Programme Regions in Growth, OP Human Resources Development and the Norwegian Financial Mechanism, among others.Dekov noted that the investments included energy efficiency measures, urban environment improvements, energy-saving street lighting and socio-economic integration of vulnerable groups. Among the completed projects he singled out the renovated Youth Centre building, new street lighting in the village of Doyrentsi and the renovation of 17 multi-family residential buildings with energy efficiency measures applied to 187 homes. As to education infrastructure, the buildings and playgrounds of two kindergartens and one health care facility were renovated and the sports fields of three schools were redone. In the 2021-2027 programming period, Lovech Municipality will invest EU funding in the energy efficiency of residential buildings, education and social infrastructure, environment-friendly urban mobility and air quality improvement, said Dekov.

In Lovech Region, 1,057 projects were implemented under the Operational Programmes of the European Structural and Investment Funds during the 2014-2020 programming period, said Mariana Bandrova, expert at the Regional Information Centre. Under those programmes, contracts for grant financial assistance worth BGN 310 million were concluded in the region and more than BGN 235 million were received in grants, said Bandrova. The municipalities in the region concluded 151 contracts worth over BGN 82 million and received BGN 80 million in grants. Under the Recovery and Resilience Plan, 109 contracts worth over BGN 92 million were concluded in Lovech Region, and grant funding topped BGN 66 million. Bandrova also drew attention to the novelties in the 2021-2027 programming period. Lovech Region has already signed contracts for 28 projects worth over BGN 40 million under programmes co-financed by the European Shared Management Funds.

Apriltsi Mayor Tihomir Kukenski noted that 26% of the tourist accommodation in the North-West region are in Apriltsi, adding that tourism is the backbone of the municipal economy. "For 60 years, we have been dreaming of building a tourist lift for quick access to the mountain ridge in summer and winter. I hope the project will be implemented since there are funds set aside in the State budget and an agreement has been signed with the Ministry of Regional Development. He expressed hope that the Environment and Water Ministry and the Central Balkan National Park will be partners. "There is no way we can develop tourism without infrastructure," Kukenski said.

Troyan Mayor Donka Mihaylova said Troyan Municipality and businesses attracted over BGN 45 million during the 2014-2020 programming period. She emphasized that the local government and businesses are working to improve the quality of life. "For us, the first priority has always been the construction of the utility infrastructure. These are the projects that people don't notice, or rather, they notice them until the moment we stop causing them difficulties and they can benefit from the completed projects," she said. She recalled that 85% of the town's infrastructure was built during her first term. "In the last term, we worked together with Apriltsi Municipality on a waste management project and built a modern waste management system." She added: "Partnership has always been important to us. We cannot and should not work alone, we get results when the various sectors are united, as well as when the municipalities work together."

Teteven Deputy Mayor Toni Stoev said Teteven is developing and things have changed for the better thanks to funding from European programmes. "During the previous programming period, we managed to implement more than 20 projects worth over BGN 15 million. As a small municipality, the main source of EU funding for us is from Operational Programme Regions in Growth and the Rural Development Programme," Stoev said. A number of projects were implemented during the previous programming period related to the education infrastructure in Teteven municipality. "Our greatest pride is the reconstruction of the central part of the town," said Stoev.

BTA's Europe in the Balkans project is supported by the European Commission. It aims to foster a better understanding of the role of cohesion policy in the Balkans, promote dialogue on the results of the projects at the local level, and boost civic participation in issues related to cohesion policy.

The series of conferences under the project was launched on December 20, 2023, in Sofia. The programme for 2024 includes discussions in the cities of Blagoevgrad, Burgas, Varna, Vidin, Vratsa, Gabrovo, Dobrich, Kazanlak, Kardzhali, Kyustendil, Lovech, Montana, Pazardzhik, Pernik, Pleven, Plovdiv, Razgrad, Samokov, Silistra, Sliven, Smolyan, Sofia, Stara Zagora, Targovishte, Haskovo, Shumen, Yambol, Kardzhali, Vratsa, and Montana, as well as cross-border conferences in Belgrade, Bosilegrad, Bucharest, Edirne, Skopje, and Thessaloniki. Discussion on the development of the North-West planning region started with a local conference in Vidin on June 4. Lovech hosted the final local conference and the closing forum will be held in the Black Sea resort of Albena on August 24.