The state hopes to catch up with the reforms, and the money for the PVU to start by the end of the year

The government is making every effort to catch up on the backlog found under the National Recovery and Sustainability Plan (NRSP), so that the second payment for Bulgaria will be possible by the end of the year. The Prime Minister Academician Nikolay Denkov stated this priority goal for the Cabinet during his meetings with the President of the European Council Charles Michel and the President of the European Commission (EC) Ursula von der Leyen today in Brussels. This was announced by the press service of the Council of Ministers.

In front of journalists, the Prime Minister pointed out as the main reason for the serious delay in the RSP the lack of a clear idea of how to fulfill the Commission's requirements and at the same time care for the people and the development of the economy in the coal regions based on new technologies. Currently, the Bulgarian government is urgently preparing an analysis on the subject, which will be discussed with the EC. Within a few months, the preparation of the official documentation with which our country will present the territorial plans, the changes in the RSP and the part of the "RePowerEU" plan, which is related to the energy transformation, is to be prepared.

Academician Denkov also reminded that the second payment under the RSP is also related to a certain number of reforms and adoption of bills by the National Assembly. Half of these reforms have not been done and we are catching up, stressed the Prime Minister.

Both European leaders have assured the Bulgarian Prime Minister that Bulgaria will receive their support wherever it is needed. Proof of this is, for example, the already allocated 45 million euros for the protection of the EU's external border between Bulgaria and Turkey. In the coming months, these funds will be included in the equipment, experts from Europe will be invited and a unit will be created in Bulgaria to coordinate the activity of protection against illegal migration in the EU. This European coordination center, based in our country, will work with a focus on countering organized human trafficking. Since March this year another pilot project has already been launched, in which Frontex, Europol and several other European countries participate, and which also aims to support border security along the "Balkan route".

Regarding the other key priority of the government - the accession of Bulgaria to the Eurozone, the Prime Minister noted that not only technical preparation is important. It is equally important for people to understand that the transition to the euro will not lead to upheavals, as Bulgaria has been on a currency board and tied to the European currency for 25 years.

Bulgaria is awaiting the EC's official opinion regarding the nominations for European Commissioner from our country. At today's meeting with the chairperson of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, the Prime Minister received thanks for the two candidacies proposed by the Bulgarian government, as both candidates possess extremely high qualities.

In response to a media question, Academician Denkov confirmed that Defense Minister Todor Tagarev has already stated Bulgaria's desire to join the joint procurement of ammunition by the European Defense Agency in connection with the war in Ukraine. This is important for Bulgaria's defense industry, the Prime Minister pointed out.

The Prime Minister's meetings with Charles Michel and Ursula von der Leyen were also attended by the Minister of Finance Asen Vassilev.