In brief
EU Commissioner Piotr Serafin visited Bulgaria on 29–30 October to discuss the next EU Multiannual Financial Framework. He met with government officials, attended a conference on MFF priorities, visited STEM and space‑tech centers, and examined administrative procedures. The focus was on simplifying funding processes and enhancing transparency.
EU Commissioner for Budget, Anti‑Fraud and Public Administration Piotr Serafin arrived in Sofia on 29 October to begin a two‑day study tour of Bulgaria that will feed into the European Union’s 2028–2034 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). The Commission’s representative has been in 22 member states since taking office, and this trip adds to a growing trend of dialogue that seeks to refine the way EU funding is delivered.
On Thursday morning, Serafin opened a conference titled The Next Multiannual Financial Framework: Priorities and Principles in the capital. The event—jointly organized by the European Commission Representation in Bulgaria, the Embassy of Poland, and the Sofia office of the European Council on Foreign Relations—drawn a spectrum of stakeholders: government ministers, parliamentarians, and representatives of local authorities. The chief focus, as declared by the commissioners, was the urgent need to simplify complex funding procedures and ease administrative burdens for all beneficiaries of EU funds.
Facing the room, the EU Commissioner met with 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. The discussion highlighted Bulgaria’s desire for clearer guidance on the allocation of national and regional partnership funding, a theme that will shape the draft MFF proposal that the Commissioner will present to Brussels next year.
The next day, the focus shifted to local governance. Serafin met with members of the National Association of the Municipalities to exchange views on the regional aspect of the national and regional partnership plans that will occupy a significant portion of the next MFF. Participants stressed the importance of reducing overlapping regulations to help municipalities manage EU projects more efficiently.
After the municipal roundtable, the Commissioner visited the National STEM Centre in Sofia Tech Park, a hub for science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The centre, co‑funded by the Recovery and Resilience Plan, offers a pipeline for research and innovation projects that could align with EU priorities. Serafin’s visit, accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Pekanov, was aimed at reviewing the funding processes that the centre receives and the ways to make them more transparent.
The tour finished at EnduroSat, a satellite manufacturer and space‑service provider that thrives on funding from the European Innovation Council. The laboratory and mission‑control room showcased the commercial and research potential of space‑technology, a field that increasingly intersects with climate monitoring and environmental protection. Sergeantial visits to such high‑tech facilities underpin the EU’s ambition to support sectors that can deliver long‑term sustainability outcomes.
Throughout the trip, Serafin gathered stakeholder input that “has helped shape the direction and priorities of the 2028–2034 MFF proposal,” the European Commission said. The Commissioner emphasized that the MFF will emphasize legal consistency and reduce overlapping regulations to make EU funding easier to navigate.
These elements—supply side incentives, clearer administrative procedures, and stronger emphasis on local implementation—appear to be the cornerstone of an MFF that could bolster climate‑action projects across the bloc. Although the European Commission has not yet released a final draft of the next MFF, the consultations that Serafin holds in Bulgaria will inform the policy choices that the EU may roll out in the coming months.
For now, the focus remains on cooperation. The Commissioner’s Doha‑style dialogue illustrates how member states can work with Brussels to refine the long‑term investment agenda that is essential not only for economic resilience but also for environmental sustainability. The series of visits across Bulgaria’s research institutions and local governments is a small but significant step in making EU finances more accessible, efficient, and aligned with the climate goals that echo across the continent.
