site.btaBulgarian Parliament Urges Equal Treatment for Black Sea Region in EU Cohesion Policy

The National Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria has called for the Black Sea region to be granted equal recognition to other European Union regions directly bordering Ukraine, Belarus, or Russia. This appeal is outlined in a draft declaration tabled on July 31, the final plenary sitting before the summer recess, by MPs from four parliamentary groups: GERB–UDF, BSP – United Left, There Is Such a People, and MRF – New Beginning. The document is publicly available on the Parliament’s official website.

Highlighting the vital role of the EU's cohesion policy in driving the economic development of Bulgaria’s regions, the draft declaration sets out Bulgaria’s position in response to the European Commission’s proposed mid-term review of the EU’s cohesion policy framework. The National Assembly calls on EU institutions, the European Parliament and the Council, to reflect in future legislative and programmatic documents the need for the Black Sea region to be treated on par with other border regions along the Union’s eastern frontier.

The draft further mandates Bulgaria’s Council of Ministers to continue defending this position during both the mid-term review process and in the upcoming negotiations on the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for the period 2028-2034.

The National Assembly acknowledges the European Commission’s proposed amendments to the regulatory framework under the Modernised Cohesion Policy legislative package. These changes are intended to apply both through the end of the current programming period and throughout the next MFF cycle (2028–2034), the declaration notes.

Earlier in July, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Innovation and Growth Tomislav Donchev addressed the Parliamentary Committee on European Affairs and Oversight of the European Funds, emphasizing that the debate on the future of the EU's cohesion policy and the next MFF is only beginning. Donchev underscored that Bulgaria will firmly advocate for preserving the traditional goals of cohesion policy in all negotiation formats. According to him, the primary mission of cohesion policy remains unchanged – to address the macroeconomic imbalances created by the functioning of the single market.