In brief
European Commissioner for Budget, Piotr Serafin, will visit Bulgaria on 29–30 October to consult with Prime Minister Rumen Radev, Finance Minister Galab Donev and Deputy Prime Minister Atanas Pekanov about the next Multiannual Financial Framework. He will host a conference on budget priorities and meet with municipal leaders and research institutions to discuss simplifying funding procedures. The visit is part of his tour of 22 EU states aimed at shaping the bloc’s long‑term budget.
Piotr Serafin, the European Commissioner for Budget, Anti‑Fraud and Public Administration, will travel to Sofia on 29‑30 October to meet key Bulgarian officials and stakeholders about the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). The two‑day visit comes as the Commission prepares its 2028‑2034 budget proposal, seeking input from a wide range of national actors to ensure the rules and priorities align with member‑state needs.
Serafin’s itinerary highlights the EU’s focus on public accountability and administrative simplification. By consulting with government ministries, municipal associations and science centres, he aims to streamline the complex procedures that currently challenge European projects. The participation of Bulgarian leaders underscores the country’s role in shaping future EU spending and in demonstrating the benefits of transparent, citizen‑centric governance.
On Monday, the commissioner will speak with Prime Minister Rumen Radev, Finance Minister Galab Donev and Deputy Prime Minister Atanas Pekanov—the latter responsible for managing EU funds. The discussion will focus on how Bulgaria will implement and harvest the upcoming budget, as well as on structuring national mechanisms so that EU money flows more efficiently to local projects.
Conference on the Next MFF
Serafin will open a conference titled “The Next Multiannual Financial Framework: Priorities and Principles” in Sofia. The event is jointly organized by the European Commission Representation in Bulgaria, the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Bulgaria, and the Sofia office of the European Council on Foreign Relations. The conference will bring together policymakers, experts and the public to debate the balance between national aspirations and EU-wide objectives, and to determine how best to allocate resources to promote innovation, infrastructure and stability.
Friday will see the commissioner meet with members of the National Association of the Municipalities, a group representing local governments across the country. This meeting will give municipalities a voice in shaping the National and Regional Partnership Plans embedded in the new MFF. By discussing regional priorities, the dialogue aims to address how EU funds can support local development projects, improve public services and promote equal opportunity in Bulgaria’s communities.
Following the municipal engagement, Serafin will visit the National STEM Centre in Sofia Technology Park. The centre—managed by the Ministry of Education and Science and co‑funded by the Recovery and Resilience Plan—plays a central role in coordinating research and innovation efforts. The visit will explore how simplified procedures can accelerate the rollout of EU grants for research and development, benefiting universities, startups and industry partners.
The day concludes with a stop at EnduroSat’s laboratory and mission control room, where the company produces satellites and space‑borne services. EnduroSat is a beneficiary of EU funding through the European Innovation Council. By touring the facility, Serafin will face‑to‑face with a key EU innovation success story and discuss how future funding mechanisms can sustain Bulgaria’s emerging space sector.
Throughout his trip, Serafin has highlighted the urgent need to simplify funding procedures, reduce administrative burdens and boost transparency. Stakeholders he consulted emphasize that overlapping regulations and legal inconsistencies obscure access to EU money. By aligning legal frameworks, the next MFF could make public funding easier to navigate for businesses, researchers, and civil‑society organizations alike, thereby strengthening Bulgaria’s democratic accountability to taxpayers.
Serafin’s visit comes after he has visited 22 EU member states, a tour that has helped shape the direction of the pending 2028‑2034 MFF proposal. The Bulgarian sessions are integral to this broader competitive process, offering the Commission first‑hand insights into how EU policies play out in national contexts and how those policies could be refined to benefit the largest public constituencies in each member state.
