Urgent reform of Bulgaria's planning districts is needed, local authorities insist.The current regionalization shows increasing economic imbalances in terms of EU grant assistance. The problem is particularly severe in the Southwestern region, which includes Sofia city. According to the EU cohesion rules, when a region's GDP per capita reaches 100% of the EU average, the regions receive 30% co-financing for EU programs.
In the Southwestern region, due to Sofia's indicators, the coverage is 100%. Transitional regions, with a GDP between 75% and 100% of the EU average, receive 60% grant aid, while underdeveloped regions receive 85%. In Sofia city, the GDP per capita is close to 130% of the EU average, which affects the neighboring districts – Sofia District, Pernik, Kyustendil and Blagoevgrad, where the coverage is between 54% and 31%. The bundling of these districts with the capital city limits their access to EU funds.
Citizens should remain calm about the introduction of the euro in Bulgaria from January 1, 2026, as the Bulgarian National Bank and commercial banks are ready for all processes related to the currency conversion and distribution of euro banknotes. This..
Bulgaria’s Ministry of Finance has published the draft state budget in euros for 2026. The country’s GDP is projected to reach EUR 120.1 billion, with an economic growth rate of 2.7%. Planned revenues amount to EUR 51.436 billion, or 42.8% of GDP...
In 2024, 8.2% of people aged 18 or over who declared to be at work (either employed or self-employed) in the EU were at risk of poverty, according to data from Eurostat, cited by the BNR's Horizont channel. In Bulgaria, this share reached 11.8%. The..
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