Will Bulgaria miss the European money to renovate buildings
The money for gratuitous funding for the renovation of multi -family residential buildings according to the Recovery and Resistance Plan (PV) of BGN 1.128 billion is at risk due to the delay of the procedure. The warning is of the Minister of Regional Development Ivan Ivanov and was sent to the mayors of the General Assembly of the National Association of Municipalities (NAMRB), which was held during the week (March 5) in Sofia. The receipt of the European funds under the PV is also tied to specific reforms that have not yet been completed.
Dnevnik seek the opinion of mayors of several major cities, whether they will handle the deadline for implementation of this program – June 30, 2026.
In Sofia, 69 projects are managed by district mayors
« In Sofia, 69 blocks were approved in Stage 1 of the program, and it was implemented by the district administrations. It was not until the beginning of this year by the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works (MRDPW) that they began to conclude contracts. By then the regions were afraid to place public procurement without any secured financing. A priority for all areas to complete all procedures by the end of May and to start the implementation.
Asked if he was convinced that the funds under the remediation would be provided, he replied: « No. The state must say whether it will carry out the necessary reforms to secure the money. We work in uncertainty in which we cannot start and implement these projects because it will be irresponsible to the residents of Sofia.
| If the state has to repay money, I have no indication of who will pay the bill in the end and if these are the municipalities, it will be related to the cut of other feathers, which is the money from the state budget, so that we will pay directly or indirectly pay the bill, « Barbutov said. |
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In Plovdiv, the choice of performers is still underway
Plovdiv Mayor Kostadin Dimitrov (GERB) said they had 33 blocks approved under Stage 1 for grant. « We have concluded all agreements with the MRDPW, so things are in the process and are on time. We are working in the direction to deal with June 30, 2026, » he told Dnevnik, adding that the procedures for the selection of contractors are now being carried out.
Asked how the Municipality of Plovdiv would react if the financing under the PBV was missed because of the unacceptable commitments for reforms to the European Commission, Dimitrov said the municipality had no funds in the budget for this purpose. « In principle, the program says that funding is 100% of the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works, respectively by state funds, » he suggested.
Public procurement is still being held in Varna
« We have 31 blocks in Varna, approved for Stage 1. The contracts (with the MRDPW) were signed at the end of 2024 and are currently undergoing public contracts for the selection of contractors. We have two or three more work on them, » Mayor Blagomir Kotsev told Dnevnik.
« We are yet to see if there will be funding (under the PV), so far there is nothing official to stop the program. The late signing of the projects and the short term that remains for implementation – June 30, 2026 is already discussed.
| It is risky to start these projects at all and I hope there will be an extension of the term and I guess this should be negotiated with the European Commission, « Kotsev commented. |
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In Vratsa hope the state will renovate all blocks
We have eight residential blocks in Vratsa, approved for grants under Stage 1 of the PV program, and over 130 blocks are expecting renovation, said Mayor of the city Kalin Kamenov.
Asked if there is a plan B, if the funds on the PV are missed, he replied: « I rely on the mind and activity of the Bulgarian negotiators to convince the European partners for the need for these funds. They are not to blame that someone has missed the deadlines before. »
| Kamenov hopes the state will take over the financing of all needy blocks, because the energy efficiency of renovation has been proven. |
Regional Minister: We will renegotiate with Brussels
In this direction – how the state will pay the renovation of the buildings, if the funds under the PV are missed due to uninformed reforms agreed with the adoption of the PV, the Minister of Regional Development Ivan Ivanov was spoken at the General Assembly of the National Association of Municipalities.
We are now starting negotiations with the European Commission to reduce the final identifier so as not to lose money on the PV. If the remedied area of 3.6 million square meters remains, it will not be fulfilled and all funds can be lost.
| Therefore, we need to clarify how much square meters they will be successfully renovated in order to ask the European Commission to reduce these parameters (to the size we will fulfill), « Minister Ivanov explained to the General Assembly of Municipalities. |
« As a minister, I will keep those who have no contracts with contractors by the end of May to be aware that it will be very difficult to complete construction by the end of March 2026, » he said.
Such projects are better not to start European funding, and « I recommend that these buildings be reorienting to the (future) national energy efficiency program so that we do not generate losses for the state budget, » Ivanov said. It planned 2.5 billion levs of state funds for a period of four years – up to 2029. With them, Ivanov assures, all buildings will be financed free of charge, including those in the reserve list for Stage -2, whose number is 2178.
