site.btaEU Commissioner Urges Parliamentary Parties to Follow EP's Example, Unite in Public's Interest
The European Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation, Ekaterina Zaharieva, called on the Bulgarian Parliament to follow the example of the European Parliament (EP). After intensive negotiations, the many different political families managed to unite in the common goal of making Europe's government work in the interests of European citizens in the global geopolitical environment, Zaharieva said. Her comment was in response to a question whether she expects the formation of a regular government in Bulgaria. The EU Commissioner took part in a conference in Plovdiv on education and innovation.
Bulgaria's accession to the Schengen area will certainly have an impact on Bulgarian business, Zaharieva said, adding that many times statistics have shown how much Bulgaria's economy lost due to queuing at the borders. Citizens will travel more easily by land and this is very good news for Bulgaria and Romania, the Commissioner said. She thanked all governments, parliaments and state officials for Bulgaria's accession as a full member of Schengen.
Before opening the conference, Zaharieva said that Plovdiv is a good example of how, by investing in education and talent, the city has all the resources to become an innovative centre. Innovation, she said, is at the heart of the European Commission's agenda and is the first pillar in having a more competitive Europe. Unfortunately, Europe is lagging behind the US and China in terms of investment in science and innovation, Zaharieva said, specifying that the purpose of her visit was to motivate businesses and governments to invest more in this area.
The Commissioner also said that Horizon Europe is the largest programme in the world investing in science and innovation. Bulgaria has experienced very positive growth in the first three years of the programme and Bulgarian companies have received funds that are as much as in the entire previous programme. Businesses have received a total of EUR 12 million in grants and EUR 20 million in capital, the Commissioner said. In her words, this means that Bulgarian companies are well appreciated because many companies apply for the programme and only 8% receive funding. The state is also helping by coordinators in the ministries providing information to scientists and companies in a timely manner, Zaharieva added. She said the biggest strength of the programme is that scientists from different countries come together and find solutions to modern challenges.
The forum in Plovdiv brought together leading specialists in education and information technology. The event was opened by Yordanka Fandakova, Chairperson of Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria, Norbert Beckmann-Dierkes, Head of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation Office for Bulgaria, and Kostadin Dimitrov, Mayor of Plovdiv.
/RY/
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