BELIN MOLLOV DEPUTY MINISTER OF REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS THE REGIONAL COOPERATION – a Policy for Sustainable Development on the Balkans in the Context of the European Union Enlargement 15 – 16 November 2004, Boyana Residence, Sofia   BALKAN CONFERENCE Global Agenda 21 Bulgarian Government Communication Strategy for European Integration Bulgarian Government Communication Strategy for European Integration

MINISTRY OF REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS  MRDPW is a State Agency responsible for providing the National Regional Development Policy; Legislation and State control in Physical (Spatial) planning; main facilities and network of the technical infrastructure.  In implementation of those obligations we respect the balanced sustainable development of the national territory as a prerequisite for attracting the investment interest to Bulgaria, achieving of stable economic growth and international competitiveness, as well as successful quality management of the environment.

MINISTRY OF REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS  Regional policy  Chapter 21 “Regional policy”  Regional development Act  Local government and local administration Act  Administrative and territorial division Act  National strategy for regional development  General Directorate “Programming of the RD”  Directorate “Strategic planning of the regional policy and coordination of the negotiation process”  Directorate “Territorial management and decentralization”  Implementing Agency “PHARE”  Implementing Agency “ISPA”  Implementing Agency “Roads”

MINISTRY OF REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS  Physical (spatial) planning policy  Physical (spatial) planning Act  Geodesy and cadastre Act  Directorate “Physical planning”  Cadastre Agency  Directorate “National construction control”  Housing policy  National housing strategy  A set of Laws  Housing department

MINISTRY OF REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS  Water sector (infrastructure)  National water strategy  A set of Laws  State property development  Concoctions  Roads (hay motor ways)  Water companies  Beaches

MINISTRY OF REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS  Roads implementing Agency

MINISTRY OF REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS Roads implementing Agency

CONTEXT Bulgaria technically completed the negotiations on June 15 th 2004, all chapters were provisionally closed Financial framework for Bulgaria – 4,5 billion euro (2007 – 2009)  2,3 billion euro for regional development  2/3 – structural funds  1/3 – cohesion fund  2,0 billion for agriculture  0,3 billion for external border  October 6 th 2004 – Last regular progress report  October 29 th 2004 – Signing the European Constitution Treaty  December 17 th 2004 – Formal conclusion of the negotiations  Beginning of 2005 – Signing of the Accession Treaty  January 1 st 2007 – Full membership

GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT BY REGIONS below – – – – – 125 above 125 INDEX ЕС 27 = 100

GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT BY REGIONS IN BG  Disparities

SPECIAL IMPACT AREAS

PHARE  Phare’s objectives are:  Strengthening public administrations and institutions to function effectively inside the EU  Promoting convergence with the European Union’s extensive legislation (the acquis communautaire) and reduce the need for transition periods.  Promoting Economic and Social Cohesion.  PHARE – Economic and Social Cohesion  PHARE – Trans-border co-operation:  BG – Greece  BG – Romania  BG – Turkey  BG – Serbia and Monte Negro  BG – Macedonia

ISPA ISPA was designed to address environmental and transport infrastructure priorities identified in the Accession Partnerships with the applicant countries of Central and Eastern Europe to enhance economic and social cohesion for the period

The aim of SAPARD is to help the beneficiary countries of Central and Eastern Europe deal with the problems of the structural adjustment in their agricultural sectors and rural areas, as well as in the implementation of the acquis communautaire concerning the CAP (Common Agricultural Policy) and related legislation. SAPARD was established as part of the Agenda 2000 programme for increased pre- accession assistance in the period SAPARD

 Leonardo da Vinci II  Socrates II  Culture 2000  Youth Program  Health  Jean Monnet  Media  Town twinning  The EU Sixth Framework Program for Research  Traineeship at the EU Parliament  Traineeship at the EU Commission EUROPEAN COMMUNITY PROGRAMS IN BULGARIA

DONORS COMMUNITY IN BULGARIA  UNDP – human development reports, administrative capacity at local and regional level, sustainable development, capacity building …  USAID – Local government initiative, financial decentralization, training of trainers, strategic planning…  Open society foundation – training, e-learning, capacity building, project preparation…  DFID – British Now How Fund – regional, municipal development, programming, strategic planning…  SDS, SECO – public participation, community forums, partnership, environment protection…  MATRA – physical planning, housing, environment…  German, French, Danish, Holland … governments

BULGARIAN REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT POLICY Vision Bulgaria’s regional policy aims to reduce the disparities between the country’s regions in terms of development level and living standards by providing assistance for their structural adjustment, by development of those areas, which are in a process of decline, and by overall social and economic renaissance Priorities  Implementing the engagements on Chapter 21 “Regional Policy and Coordination of Structural Instruments”;  Ensuring the conditions for balanced development of the regions;  Enhanced the border regions development – trans-border co-operation;  Effective use of EU pre-accession instruments;  Harmonization of the legislative framework with the acquis;  Creating of an information system for regional planning and management based on the Planning regions

NEGOTIATION POSITION ON CHAPTER 21  Provisional NUTS classification  Legislative framework  Institutional framework  Administrative capacity  Programming capacity  Financial management and budget  Staff (personal) training at all levels Start of negotiations – End of negotiations–

NEGOTIATION PROCESS ON CHAPTER 21 Two main groups of requirements:  Requirements which had to be fulfilled before the provisional closure of the Chapter:  NUTS classification  Legislation  Institutions – managing authorities  Institutions – financial control and audit  Requirements which must be fulfilled by the date of accession:  Administrative capacity  Programming capacity  Partnership between stakeholders

PLANNING REGIONS – NUTS 2  North-Western  North-Central  North-Eastern  South-Western  South-Central  South-Eastern

DISTRICTS NUTS 3 28 districts

MUNICIPALITIES LAU 1 – 264 municipalities Municipal responsibilities  Municipal property management  Urban planning and development  Education  Healthcare  Public utilities and services  Social welfare  Environmental protection  Culture  Protection and conservation of cultural and historical heritage  Promotion of sport, leisure activities and tourism  Tasks related to preservation of the public order

SETTLEMENTS LAU settlements 4000 – les than 500 inhabitants                           Sofia Bourgas Varna Plovdiv Rousse

LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK Bulgaria has achieved a high degree of compatibility with the Community policies and actions with regard to:  the rules on competition;  award of public contracts;  environmental protection and improvement;  the elimination of inequalities and the promotion of equality between men and women

PAYING AUTHORITY MANAGEMENT CSF MONITORING COMMITTEE STRUCTURAL FUNDS MANAGEMENT RD OPERATIONAL PROGRAMM HR OPERATIONAL PROGRAMM CE OPERATIONAL PROGRAMM AD OPERATIONAL PROGRAMM MRDPW MLSP ME MAF INTERMEDIATE BODIES INTERMEDIATE BODIES INTERMEDIATE BODIES INTERMEDIATE BODIES MF BENEFICIARIES

PAYING AUTHORITY MANAGEMENT MONITORING COMMITTEE COHESION FUND MANAGEMENT TRANSPORT OPERATIONAL PROGRAMM ENVIRONMENT OPERATIONAL PROGRAMM MTC MEW IMPLEMENTING AGENCY – MTC IMPLEMENTING AGENCY – MRDPW IMPLEMENTING AGENCY – MRDPW IMPLEMENTING AGENCY – MEW MF BENEFICIARIES

MF NATIONAL PLAN FOR DEVELOPMENT PLANNING DOCUMENTS REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT OP ENVIRONMENT OP AGRICULTURE OP COMPETITIVENESS OF THE ECONOMY OP TRANSPORT OP MAF MEMRDPW HUMAN RESOURCES OP MLSP MEW MTC

PARTNERSHIP The list of partners that will be invited to participate in the DP working group:  regional authorities (NUTS2),  local authorities (selected by National Association of the Municipalities),  representatives of employers’ organisations and trade unions, having nationwide representation,  non-governmental organisations,  Bulgarian Academy of Science and Universities.  The line ministries (Managing Authorities of the Operational Programmes)

This Act regulate the public relations concerning the planning, programming, management, financing, state support, monitoring, control and evaluation of regional development. The law pursue the following objectives:  Creating conditions for sustainable and balanced development of regions in the Republic of Bulgaria;  Creating prerequisites for diminishing inter-regional and inner-regional differences in economic development;  Securing conditions for growth of employment and incomes of the population in regions with specific problems;  Development of trans-border co-operation. REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT ACT

STRUCTURES AT REGIONAL AND LOCAL LEVEL  Regional development councils  District development councils  Municipal councils  Directorates “Technical support, coordination and management of regional programs and plans”  Regional Governor (administration)  Mayors – Municipal administration 

PLANNING DOCUMENTS  Strategic planning  National Strategy for regional development  District Development Strategies and spatial planning schemes (NUTS 3)  Planning and programming  National Operational Programme for Regional Development  Regional development plans (NUTS 2)  Municipal development plans (LAU 1)

NDP NSRD NOPRD RDPDDS MDP NSPP goals, priorities indicators methodology co-ordination measures, horizontal priorities, indicators, financial framework, evaluation goals priorities, indicators, methodology for DDS, ex-ante evaluation project proposals for regional and municipal development district framework for municipal goals & priorities economic goals priorities, macro- framework, indicators harmonize branch strategies with NOPRD, financing, implementation, monitoring, ex-ante evaluation PLANNING

CHALLENGES FACED BY LOCAL AUTHORITIES  Institutional capacity  Administrative capacity  Programming capacity  Project preparation  Partnership  Co-operation  Public involvement  Information exchange

? PROJECTS!!! 2,3 BILIONS FOR REGIONDL POLICY Challenges

Thank you for your attention

“CAPACITY 21” PROGRMME  After the Rio+5 Earth Summit held in New York in 1997, Bulgaria started the implementation of Capacity 21. Bulgaria launched a national study examining implementation of the first two stages of Capacity 21 and measuring Bulgaria’s progress towards sustainable development. The results speak of a notable progress, namely in terms of:  Aligning national legislation with the principles of sustainable development;  Creating the necessary central and local institutional framework;  Devising mechanisms of interaction and information sharing;  Changing public patterns of thinking and behavior and ensuring active citizen participation in the decision making process.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT – EU ACCESSION  Since 1997, the principles of sustainable development have occupied a central position in the EU Treaty. In its aspiration for EU accession, Bulgaria has undertaken to apply these principles in its overall policy and body of law.  In this connection, Capacity 21 has been extremely helpful:  to the Government in approximating the national legislation with the EU’s,  to the local governments in putting this legislation in practice, and  to the civil society organizations by giving them an active stake in the process of change.

OUTCOMES ACHIEVED IN BULGARIA  Experience has shown that local level strategic planning is an essential governance tool. The support for this process has contributed to making the national planning process a less arduous task.  The Local Agendas 21, drafted with the input of various NGOs, ensured public support to the local government policies. The guiding principle of transparency and cooperation between the government and the public in developing the local agendas was applied successfully at the regional and central government levels.  In drafting the Local Agendas 21, the local governments were able to develop win- win strategies, resulting in partnerships between the public and private sector, vertical cooperation within the sectors of the economy, and a better utilization of a town or region’s economic potential.  The program promoted understanding and stability as the guiding principles to how different social and ethnic groups interact, by accounting for the factors governing local social development and aiming to secure a better lifestyle for all groups, including the disadvantaged.  The program was instrumental in assisting the local communities to write project proposals that were approved and granted funding by domestic and external sources.  A major institution, ensuring the successful implementation of the principles of sustainable development at all levels of governance is the National Sustainable Development Commission.