In brief
Commissioner Piotr Serafin is in Bulgaria on 29–30 October 2026 to review the upcoming 2028‑2034 European Union budget framework. He will meet Bulgarian leaders, open a conference on financial priorities, and tour EU‑funded science and satellite facilities. His discussions emphasize simplifying funding procedures, easing administrative burdens, and improving transparency.
European Commissioner for Budget, Anti‑Fraud and Public Administration Piotr Serafin will spend Thursday and Friday, 29‑30 October 2026, in Sofia visiting Bulgarian officials, opening a conference on the EU’s next multi‑annual financial framework, and touring science and satellite facilities that receive EU funding.
Key Schedules of the Visit
According to the BTA, the Commissioner will begin his trip by meeting Prime Minister Rumen Radev, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Galab Donev, and Deputy Prime Minister Atanas Pekanov, who is responsible for the management of EU funds.
On Friday, Serafin will meet with members of the National Association of the Municipalities. The exchange will focus on the regional aspects of the National and Regional Partnership plans that are part of the forthcoming Multi‑Annual Financial Framework (MFF).
Serafin will also lead a conference titled "The Next Multiannual Financial Framework: Priorities and Principles". The event is jointly organized by the European Commission Representation in Bulgaria, the Embassy of Poland in Bulgaria, and the Sofia office of the European Council on Foreign Relations.
Following the conference, the Commissioner will visit the National STEM Centre in Sofia Tech Park, a hub for science, technology, engineering and mathematics managed by the Ministry of Education and Science and co‑funded by the Recovery and Resilience Plan.
After the STEM Centre, Serafin will travel to the laboratory and mission control room of EnduroSat, a satellite manufacturer and space service provider. The company receives EU funding through the European Innovation Council.
Throughout the day, Serafin will be accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Atanas Pekanov, as stated by the European Commission.
Serafin’s trip is part of his broader European tour, during which he has met stakeholders across EU Member States to gather insights that will shape the 2028‑2034 MFF proposal. The European Commission Representation in Bulgaria says that these discussions have underscored the urgent need to simplify complex funding procedures, ease administrative burdens, and improve transparency.
Stakeholders have highlighted the importance of reducing overlapping regulations and improving legal consistency, which will make EU funding easier to navigate, according to the same BTA report.
A daily news source added that the visit represents an opportunity to meet public authorities and beneficiaries of EU funding, underscoring the practical implications of the MFF for national and regional projects.
As the EU’s largest single pool of financial resources, the multi‑annual framework will set the priorities for investment, including support for climate action, green infrastructure, and research. The Sanctions included here, while not explicitly about environmental projects, set the operational and financial environment in which such investments are evaluated and managed.
