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Smart Investments in Smart Cities – a two-day high-level workshop dedicated to urban development in Bulgaria

  • 14 June 2017
Smart Investments in Smart Cities – a two-day high-level workshop dedicated to urban development in Bulgaria

The important role of the cities in cohesion policy and the existing possibilities for EU investments in sustainable urban development in Bulgaria will be at the heart of a 2-day high-level workshop taking place in Plovdiv on 15 and 16 June 2017. The event, organised by the European Commission, Directorate General for Regional and Urban Policy, in cooperation with  Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works the Urban  Development Network (UDN) will bring together authorities and

The important role of the cities in cohesion policy and the existing possibilities for EU investments in sustainable urban development in Bulgaria will be at the heart of a 2-day high-level workshop taking place in Plovdiv on 15 and 16 June 2017. The event, organised by the European Commission, Directorate General for Regional and Urban Policy, in cooperation with  Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works the Urban  Development Network (UDN) will bring together authorities and experts from Bulgaria's 39 cities involved in the implementation of EU support to integrated sustainable urban development in the 2014-2020 period.  The workshops will offer them a unique opportunity to discuss implementation related issues and exchange good practices, with the help of expertise coming from the European Commission, other Member States managing sustainable urban development projects.

On the occasion Commissioner for Regional Policy Corina Creţu said: "Cities are key driver for growth and employment in the EU. They also face unprecedented challenges in terms of competitive, sustainable and equitable development. That is why we not only reinforced the resources available, but also the capacity of cities to take responsibilities. Cohesion policy supports directly 39 Bulgarian cities with more than EUR 714 million in 2014-2020, representing more than one fifth of the ERDF allocation for the country. I am particularly glad that the Bulgarian cities are actively doing their part and will discuss and exchange good practices with experts and EU partners. This will empower them to fully grasp these investment opportunities".

The workshop will be inaugurated by the Minister for Regional Development and Public Works, Mr Nikolay Nankov, and the Director, responsible for Administrative Capacity Building and Programme implementation II at DG REGIO, Mrs Vittoria Alliata di Villafranca.

Our modern cities need to grow, they need to develop sustainable projects and learn to connect. Our cities also need to breathe as they grow. They need to breathe clean air and use all their natural resources to provide a better standard of living for their inhabitants.

The programme of the event will therefore envisage specific sections dedicated to issues of great importance for the Bulgaria cities, such as urban mobility, social policies and integration, air quality and multi-level governance, effective planning and efficient use of European Structural and Investment Funds. The event will also mark the second anniversary of the adoption by the Commission of Bulgaria's "Regions in Growth" Operational Programme (15 June 2015).

Cities are one of the major players as they directly or indirectly implement EU policies on the ground and therefore contribute to EU's major policy objectives. Therefore, the Urban Agenda for the EU creates and promotes new forms of cooperation, focusing on urban issues with a European dimension and is one of the utmost priorities for Commissioner Corina Creţu.

The 2014-2020 cohesion policy promotes a strengthened urban dimension. At least 50% of the ERDF resources for this period will be invested in urban areas. Around 15 billion euros from the ERDF will be directly allocated to integrated strategies for sustainable urban development. Up to 800 cities will be empowered to implement these integrated strategies for sustainable urban development.

In Bulgaria, investments in sustainable urban development have a prominent place in the current period. A total of 714.4 million from the European Regional Development Fund has been earmarked in a separate priority axis within the Regions in Growth Operational Programme 2014-2020, covering investments in energy efficiency, urban environment, social and educational infrastructure. This represents just above 20% of the total ERDF allocation for the country, the second biggest allocation in the EU. The projects will be selected and the investments will be implemented on the basis of comprehensive urban strategies, elaborated by the municipalities.

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