Five major priorities in the government’s Operational Program

26.07.2023

The Operational Program for Bulgaria in June 2023-December 2024 that was approved by the government today contains five major priorities:

1. Bulgaria’s accession to the Schengen Area by the end of 2023. The objective set is to perform all needed activities to meet the European partners’ requirements that make Bulgaria eligible for the accession to Schengen. The government will strengthen border control by an efficient infrastructure and mode of operation wherewith Bulgaria will contribute to the general security of the European borders. A set of new anti-corruption measures will be brought in and the security agencies will be reformed. The abolition of the borders between Bulgaria and its EU neighbors will significantly ease the traffic and shorten the waiting time at the borders and thus will give an additional boost to tourism, trade and other sectors of trans border business.

1. Accession to the Eurozone on 1 January 2025. Bulgaria will work in close cooperation with the European institutions and partners to meet all criteria required for the successful completion of the process. The cabinet will propose budgets for 2023 and 2024 with a 3% annual deficit. A large-scale public awareness campaign will be launched to show the benefits of the introduction of the Euro and to refute the fake claims and dispel the anxieties of some of the Bulgarian citizens. The campaign will make known the many benefits of the Euro for the citizens, businesses and the economy  such as: abolition of the conversion fees; promotion of European investment in Bulgaria; creation of new, better and higher paid jobs; stronger competitiveness of Bulgarian enterprises; increased price and economic stability; faster growth; facilitation and lower-cost trade for the Bulgarian enterprises in and outside the Eurozone; better integrated and therefore better performing financial markets.

1. Control over inflation. The government will take the needed measures and carry out the needed reforms to stabilize the prices of goods and services and to create a business-friendly environment to the benefit of citizens. The cabinet will support and promote the development of innovation and industry as well as agriculture. It will tighten control on the appropriate absorption of subsidies and against potential misuse of funds provided.

1. Implementation of reforms and projects under the national Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP). The cabinet will take concrete actions, proposed legislation included, to ensure the efficient implementation of the RRP and to absorb subsequent payments. The foundations will be laid for a green and digital transformation of the economy in the context of the ambitious goals of the European Green Deal. The implementation of the RRP will recover the growth potential of the economy, will develop it and increase it and thus in the long term will achieve the strategic goal of convergence of the Bulgarian economy and a parity of the income levels in Bulgaria and the European mean levels.

1. Higher efficiency and stronger transparency of municipal project management. The cabinet is planning a targeted funding for municipal projects to let municipal authorities implement their priority initiatives for the development and improvement of services for citizens. To guarantee maximum openness and transparency in the appropriate spending of the funds for the municipalities, a predictable and objective set of methods for project evaluation will be developed.

The Operational Program of the Government of the Republic of Bulgaria June 2023-December 2024 is an outcome of the agreement reached between the Coalition We Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria and the Coalition GERB-UDF [Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria – Union of Democratic Forces].

The Operational Program sets out specific activities of the government to meet commitments for proposed legislation as agreed between the two coalitions supporting it before the cabinet was formed. The document lays down realistic goals and measures that will lead to real measurable results, consistent with the National Development Program of Bulgaria 2030 and with the national Recovery and Resilience Plan. The activities are financed by European funds and the national budget.

The Operational Program tallies with the organizational chart of the Council of Ministers and each minister and his/her ministry will implement the set of measures within the ministry’s portfolio in the coming months.