site.btaDeputy PM Donchev Attends High-Level Conference on Future of EU Cohesion Policy

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Innovation and Growth Tomislav Donchev participated in a high-level conference on the future of EU cohesion policy, the Ministry’s press service reported on Monday. The forum titled "Cohesion 2027+: A Driver for Long-Term Development, Inclusive Economic Competitiveness, and Resilience Across Europe" took place in Bucharest and brought together members of the European Parliament, European Commission (EC), ministers from EU Member States, and other stakeholders.

In his address, Donchev reminded participants that cohesion policy was historically established as a tool to overcome barriers to the functioning of the EU’s single internal market. By providing targeted support to the EU’s least developed regions, cohesion policy promotes competitiveness across the Union as a whole.

Donchev described the EC’s proposal for the 2028–2034 Multiannual Financial Framework as ambitious but noted that the proposed complex architecture and implementation mechanisms pose certain risks for Member States, particularly regarding the potential loss of cohesion policy’s identity and regional focus. He stressed that cohesion policy must continue to focus on reducing differences between regions, and that this should be done without adding extra administrative burdens. In this context, the issue of rule simplification becomes increasingly important, he said. Donchev underlined Bulgaria’s expectation that, in the next period, rules for beneficiaries should be as simple as possible to ensure speed, transparency, and efficiency in project implementation.

The Deputy Prime Minister also held bilateral meetings with Raffaele Fitto, the European Commission’s Executive Vice President for Cohesion and Reforms, and with Romanian Minister of Investments and European Projects Dragos Pislaru.