site.btaEconomic Policy and Innovation Committee Approves 2026 State Budget at First Reading

Bulgaria's 2026 State Budget Bill was approved at first reading by the National Assembly Economic Policy and Innovation Committee on Wednesday with 11 votes in favour, 4 against and 4 abstentions.

Economy and Industry Minister Petar Dilov and Deputy Innovation and Growth Minister Martin Danovski presented the draft budgets of their respective ministries.

Dilov said that in 2026 the policy of the Economy and Industry Ministry will be directed towards reducing regional imbalances, supporting small and medium-sized enterprises and industry, promoting the decarbonization of the economy, strengthening foreign economic relations and the internationalization of enterprises, and increasing the efficiency of the management of state-owned enterprises.

"The ministry's policies for 2026 are mainly in two areas: sustainable economic development and competitiveness, and effective foreign economic cooperation," Dolov said. According to him, the draft budget has EUR 63.3 million for implementing the policy on sustainable economic development and competitiveness. Another EUR 9.7 million has been allocated for the policy on effective foreign economic cooperation, he added.

The revenues in Dilov's department set out in the bill amount to EUR 19.3 million.

For his part, Danovski said that the main purpose of the resources allocated in the budget of the Innovation and Growth Ministry is to provide support for consolidating the innovation ecosystem and to ensure and accelerate the technological transformation of the Bulgarian economy through targeted investment in technological and innovative production. Other goals include attracting key investment, supporting the positioning of Bulgarian companies on international markets, and ensuring the upgrading of measures in support of small, medium-sized and start-up enterprises, especially those transferring technology.

For 2026, the total amount of the Innovation and Growth Ministry's resources will be EUR 28.03 million, of which current expenditure will amount to EUR 27.9 million, including personnel costs of EUR 9.5 million, subsidies and current transfers to non-financial enterprises of EUR 10.9 million, and capital expenditure amounting to EUR 117,000.

Danovski said that the ministry’s budget shows a shortfall concerning the implementation of the strategic policy on artificial intelligence, amounting to EUR 39.6 million, including funding for the construction of the BRAIN++ artificial intelligence factory in Sofia Tech Park, where Bulgaria participates with 50% national co-financing.