In brief
On 29‑30 October, EU Budget Commissioner Piotr Serafin visited Sofia for a conference on the upcoming 2028‑2034 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) and meetings with Bulgarian officials, including Prime Minister Rumen Radev and Deputy Prime Minister Galab Donev. The tour also featured visits to the National STEM Centre and EnduroSat, highlighting EU support for STEM and space‑tech projects.
On 29 and 30 October, European Commissioner for Budget, Anti‑Fraud and Public Administration Piotr Serafin visited Sofia, Bulgaria, to discuss the next EU Multiannual Financial Framework, meet government officials, municipalities, and research institutions, and to review EU funding processes at key science and space‑tech centres.
Serafin opened a conference titled "The Next Multiannual Financial Framework: Priorities and Principles" in Sofia. The event—jointly organised 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—curated a dialogue on the 2028‑2034 MFF, a long‑term budget plan spanning seven years, and sought to align national priorities with EU objectives.
Thursday’s agenda saw the Commissioner conference with Prime Minister Rumen Radev, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Galab Donev, and Deputy Prime Minister Atanas Pekanov, who is responsible for the management of EU funds. The discussion aimed to understand national fiscal constraints and the role of EU financial instruments in supporting domestic policy initiatives.
An important element of the visit involved the National Association of the Municipalities. Serafin exchanged views with municipal leaders on the regional aspect of the National and Regional Partnership plans, a key pillar of the MFF that allocates funds to local authorities for infrastructure, sustainability and digitalisation projects.
From 9 a.m. on Friday, he toured the National STEM Centre in Sofia Tech Park—a central hub for science, technology, engineering and mathematics managed by the Ministry of Education and Science and co‑funded by the Recovery and Resilience Plan. The centre hosts university researchers, private firms and start‑ups working on high‑tech applications, and the visit underscored the EU’s commitment to expanding Bulgaria’s innovation capacity.
Following the STEM Centre, Serafin visited the laboratory and mission control room of EnduroSat, a satellite manufacturer and space‑service provider that benefits from EU funding through the European Innovation Council. EnduroSat’s work includes payload integration, launch services and data‑processing for Earth observation missions, illustrating the EU’s role in advancing space‑tech competitiveness.
Throughout the tour, Deputy Prime Minister Atanas Pekanov accompanied the Commissioner, offering insights into the administrative mechanisms that facilitate EU funding for national projects.
Earlier in his mandate, Serafin undertook numerous visits and dialogues across EU Member States, gathering insights that have shaped the 2028‑2034 MFF proposal. His interactions with stakeholders highlighted the urgent need to simplify complex funding procedures, ease administrative burdens and improve transparency.
Stakeholders stressed reducing overlapping regulations and improving legal consistency, which are critical for making EU funding easier to navigate—a theme that emerged repeatedly during Serafin’s meetings in Sofia.
The visit underscores the EU’s effort to align Bulgaria’s economic development with European priorities, strengthen institutional capacity for managing EU funds, and promote scientific collaboration that capitalises on the region’s emerging talent in STEM and space‑tech fields.
