In brief
European Commissioner for Budget Piotr Serafin is scheduled to visit Sofia for two days to discuss the 2028–2034 Multi‑Annual Financial Framework. He will meet Bulgarian leaders, open a conference on budget priorities, and tour the National STEM Centre and EnduroSat lab. His visit aims to address simplification of EU funding procedures and regional partnership planning.
European Commissioner for Budget, Anti‑Fraud and Public Administration Piotr Serafin is set to travel to Sofia on Thursday and Friday, 29–30 October 2026, to consult with Bulgarian officials on the EU’s next Multi‑Annual Financial Framework. The trip is part of a broader tour of Member States to gather input for the 2028–2034 budget proposal.
According to a press release from the European Commission Representation in Bulgaria, Serafin will convene with Prime Minister Rumen Radev, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Galab Donev and Deputy Prime Minister Atanas Pekanov on Thursday. The discussion will focus on how the upcoming framework can better serve Bulgaria’s economic and administrative needs. Deputy Prime Minister Pekanov, who is in charge of EU funds management, will accompany the commissioner throughout the visit.
On the same day, Serafin will open a conference titled the "The Next Multiannual Financial Framework: Priorities and Principles" in Sofia. The event is jointly organised by the European Commission Representation in Bulgaria, the Embassy of Poland in Bulgaria, and the Sofia office of the European Council on Foreign Relations. Attendees will include EU officials, Bulgarian parliamentarians, and representatives of civil organisations, all of whom will discuss the core principles to guide the forthcoming budget.
Friday’s agenda will begin with a meeting with members of the National Association of the Municipalities. The discussion will centre on the regional dimension of the National and Regional Partnership plans envisaged in the next Multi‑Annual Financial Framework. Following this dialogue, Serafin and his delegation will visit the National STEM Centre in Sofia Tech Park, a hub for science, technology, engineering and mathematics co‑funded by the Ministry of Education and Science and the Recovery and Resilience Plan.
Later in the day, the commissioner will tour the laboratory and mission‑control room of EnduroSat, a satellite manufacturer and space services provider that receives EU funding through the European Innovation Council. The visit underscores the role of EU financial support in advancing Bulgaria’s space technology capacity and showcases concrete examples of how the MFF can stimulate innovation.
During the tour, Serafin and Deputy Prime Minister Pekanov will highlight the need to simplify complex funding procedures, ease administrative burdens and improve transparency. These themes have emerged repeatedly in Serafin’s dialogues across Member States, where stakeholders have urged the elimination of overlapping regulations and the improvement of legal consistency to make EU funding easier to navigate.
According to the European Commission, Serafin has undertaken numerous visits and discussions with stakeholders across the EU, gathering insights that have helped shape the direction and priorities of the 2028–2034 Multi‑Annual Financial Framework proposal. His Sofia visit is a continuation of that strategic engagement, intended to refine Bulgaria’s participation in the forthcoming budgetary cycle.
The visit also offers an opportunity for Bulgarian officials to demonstrate how EU funds have been utilised in key sectors, thereby strengthening their case for continued financial support within the larger European context. By engaging closely with local partners, Serafin aims to align Bulgaria’s priorities with the broader European agenda for growth, innovation, and resilience.
While the European Commission’s representation in Bulgaria maintains that the focus of the visit will be constructive dialogue on the next MFF, other outlets such as Euronews have reported that Serafin already met Finance Minister Donev in Sofia. These reports suggest that the commissioner is moving swiftly to address pressing national concerns as part of the larger EU budget negotiations.
