site.btaBTA's Europe on Balkans Conference Held in Pleven

Representatives of various sectors who have worked on projects related to the EU's Cohesion Policy participated in a conference at the National Press Club of the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) in Pleven on Wednesday. The event was part of BTA's "Europe on Balkans: Cohesion Skills" project.

The people of Pleven Region are an example that Bulgaria has a civil society like the rest of the European Union, said BTA Director General Kiril Valchev. He emphasized Pleven's contribution to the EU, as he highlighted the protests in the region over the road accident, in which a 12-year-old girl died in April 2025. Valchev noted that civil society's activity is giving positive results, pointing out that the number of road deaths on Bulgarian roads has decreased more than threefold from 1990 to 2024. He cited data from the European Commission, according to which Bulgaria is among the top seven EU countries that have made significant progress in reducing road deaths since 2019. "The reduction in road casualties - although insufficient - is also thanks to investments in new roads and especially in highways, a significant part of which are also funded by money from the EU's common funds," Valchev emphasized.

The Municipality of Pleven believes that through knowledge and education young people can make Bulgaria and the city a better place to live, Pleven  Mayor Dr. Valentin Hristov said in his remarks at the forum. He pointed out that this year the Municipality of Pleven has allocated more funds for education. 

Ivan Popov, Executive Director of the Programme Education Executive Agency said that in the current programming period, Northern Bulgaria is in focus of the EU funds. He stated that under the Education Programme, which is co-financed by the European Social Fund Plus, about BGN 780 million, or 40% of the budget, have been agreed upon. "This year we plan to open another BGN 1 billion for Bulgarian education. Two procedures have been announced, aimed at adult literacy and desegregation in schools," Popov emphasised, adding that support for the dual education system will continue as well. 

European programmes in Bulgaria support the acquisition of knowledge and the development of skills to promote a sustainable economy and broad social responsibility, Regional Information Centre Manager Ignat Dimitrov stated. He said that as of mid-April 2025, 126 projects are being implemented in Pleven Region with a total value of over BGN 216 million for the programming period 2021-2027, adding that the projects are co-financed by the European Social Fund +, the European Regional Development Fund, the Cohesion Fund and the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund. Of these, nearly BGN 200 million represent grants, and just over BGN 19 million have already been actually paid, Dimitrov noted, adding that in the programming period 2007-2013, projects worth BGN 213 million were implemented. 

Kamelia Gornenska, Head of the Projects Department in the Pleven Municipality, said that the educational environment is not only an investment in infrastructure: it is also an investment in administrative capacity, both of the staff and of the students themselves. She emphasized that investing in human resources in educational institutions is important for solving problems, as it is a long-term investment that will pay off over time. Gornenska pointed out that Pleven Municipality is committed to strengthen the education through funds that are provided from several sources, adding that the municipal budget for education through state-delegated activities is set at over BGN 91 million in 2025. 

Any information related to knowledge and education brings added value, said Albena Toteva, Head of the Regional Education Department in Pleven. She noted that the Pleven Regional Education Department is working on three projects together with educational institutions under the Education Programme. Toteva said that the activities under the Strong Start project have been implemented for the second year and are aimed at including, encouraging and developing the potential for personal development of children in preschool education. Since the beginning of the project, more than 650 children have been included in activities for additional support for children with special needs education, as well as for additional training in mastering the Bulgarian language and participation in activities of interest.

The Pleven Pedagogical College is actively engaged in the field of educational projects, and in recent years a number of projects have been implemented, contributing to increasing the capacity of teachers and students, said College Director Dr. Boryana Zdravkova. The projects are also an opportunity to continue and expand partnerships with educational institutions in the Pleven Municipality, to exchange experience and to improve the quality of education and training of our future teachers, Zdravkova emphasized. She noted that the college has participated in six international projects over the past few years in partnership with higher education institutions, non-governmental organizations and educational institutions from various European countries, creating a good network of partnerships.

BTA's Europe on Balkans: Cohesion Skills project aims to raise public awareness and foster open dialogue about cohesion policy, local achievements, and the implementation of the EU's policy priorities. The project kicked off with a conference in Veliki Preslav in November 2024. The schedule of conferences until the end of September 2025 includes events in the following cities: Blagoevgrad, Burgas, Varna, Veliko Tarnovo, Vidin, Vratsa, Gabrovo, Dobrich, Kazanlak, Kardzhali, Kyustendil, Lovech, Montana, Pazardzhik, Pernik, Pleven, Razgrad, Ruse, Samokov, Svishtov, Sliven, Smolyan, Sofia, Stara Zagora, Troyan, Targovishte, Haskovo, Shumen, and Yambol. Cross-border conferences will be held in Belgrade, Bosilegrad, Bucharest, Edirne, Skopje, and Thessaloniki. The project builds on the Europe in the Balkans: A Common Future and Europe in Bulgaria: A Common Future projects, implemented by BTA in 2023 and 2024, respectively.