site.btaBurgas Region Mayors Commit to Speeding Up Spatial Development Plans, Government to Fast-Track Approvals

Mayors across Burgas Region have committed to accelerating work on their municipal spatial development plans, while the government will help speed up the approval process, Regional Development Minister Ivan Shishkov said here on Monday after a meeting with local officials.

Shishkov noted that 52 municipalities in Bulgaria still lack comprehensive spatial plans, which he called the key documents that guide local development. He stressed that completing these plans is especially important for Burgas Region, where many municipalities play a major role in Bulgaria's tourism sector. 

The meeting also covered the proposed Black Sea Motorway, with Shishkov pointing out that the government sees the project as part of a broader transport corridor linking the Romanian border with Malko Tarnovo on the border to Turkiye. On road infrastructure in general, the Minister noted that Bulgaria needs around 800 km of new motorways and expressways, adding that since the state cannot finance all of them alone, some future roads may be built through concessions. Under this model, the government would complete the planning, land acquisition and permitting before selecting private concessionaires to build, operate and maintain the roads, Shishkov concluded.