Planning regions will shrink from six to four, Sofia is separated
The government has gave a mandate to the National Statistical Institute (NSI) to negotiate with the European Statistical Service « Eurostat » to change the scope of regions in Bulgaria and to present to it an option for a new zoning of the country for statistical purposes. The aim is to bring the regions in accordance with the European requirements, it is known from today’s cabinet decisions.
The change is required as the Northwestern and North Central region does not meet the requirements of Eurostat for a minimum population in the regions for statistical purposes – 800 thousand people.
Thus, Bulgaria will have four regions for planning instead of the current six, which will be from the new programming period 2028 – 2034. Sofia is separated into an independent area and the other three will be north, east and south.
- The North Planning Region will include the districts of Vidin, Montana, Vratsa, Lovech, Pleven, Gabrovo, Veliko Turnovo, Targovishte, Ruse, Razgrad and Silistra.
- The East includes the districts of Dobrich, Varna, Shumen, Burgas, Sliven and Yambol.
- The districts of Sofia, Pernik, Kyustendil, Blagoevgrad, Pazardzhik, Smolyan, Plovdiv, Stara Zagora, Haskovo, Kardzhali are included in the south.
- Only Sofia is in Sofia.
Currently, Bulgaria is divided into six planning regions, with which it participates in the European Comparison System. The Northwest Region includes the districts of Vidin, Vratsa, Lovech, Montana and Pleven. The North Central covers Veliko Turnovo, Gabrovo, Razgrad, Ruse and Silistra. The northeast is based on the districts of Varna, Dobrich, Targovishte and Shumen. The southwestern ones, in addition to Sofia, includes Sofia District, Pernik, Kyustendil and Blagoevgrad. In the southern central are Kardzhali, Pazardzhik, Plovdiv, Smolyan and Haskovo. The southeast is formed by the districts of Burgas, Sliven, Stara Zagora and Yambol.
Business offers a new country zoning
In a statement of the government press service, he assures that the new zoning will improve the implementation of regional development policy as it creates conditions for a more even distribution of resources, stimulate economic and social development in the regions and reduce differences between regions.
Last year, one of the major employers’ organizations – the Association of Industrial Capital in Bulgaria (AICB), as well as the Institute of Market Economics (IPI), suggested that the planning regions be reduced to no more than three – north, south and Sofia.
