Forum in Burgas Focuses on Opportunities for Implementation of Projects with European Funding

Matey Todorov

BTA Photo

Burgas, on the Black Sea,

06.02.2024 15:51

(BTA)

The opportunities for the implementation of projects with European funding were summarized on Tuesday by the participants in a regional conference under BTA’s project "Europe in the Balkans: Common Future" in Burgas.

"Europe is focusing on decentralization of power, this is what we want to achieve and this is why we are giving more opportunities to municipalities to develop and implement their projects," said Vladimir Krumov, Deputy Regional Governor of Burgas, during the event. He gave the example of the development of projects for four-lane roads connecting the major towns in the area. In his words, these are very serious strategic infrastructure projects that will help the development of the economy in the whole region.

"For the period 2014-2020. Burgas Municipality has implemented 57 projects funded by operational programmes with European funds, totalling nearly BGN 270 million," said Maya Ruseva, Director of the Strategic Development Directorate at Burgas Municipality. She stressed that the various projects were related to the modernization of public transport, improvement and development of social services, road infrastructure, as well as the improvement of the urban environment.

Around BGN 3.5 billion is the budget of the Operational Programme "Environment" 2021-2027, said Galina Simeonova, Director General in charge of the OP at the Ministry of Environment and Water. The important priorities are air, water, waste, biodiversity, as well as risk and climate change, the expert said.

Captain Zhivko Petrov - Director of Maritime Administration Burgas, told what the sea in Burgas region was like twenty years ago. "There were no fishing and yachting ports, the bay was a wasteland. To go by yacht to Istanbul, to Romania - it was a fantasy. All that we have now is due to European policies and our integration into the European mentality of free movement," Petrov said.

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

/RY/