In brief
In late October, European Commissioner for Budget, Anti‑Fraud and Public Administration Piotr Serafin will arrive in Bulgaria to conduct a two‑day schedule that includes a conference on the 2028‑2034 Multiannual Financial Framework, meetings with prime ministerial officials, and site visits to STEM and space‑tech centers. The visit aims to refine EU funding processes and gather stakeholder input on priorities and administrative simplification.
Piotr Serafin, the European Commissioner for Budget, Anti‑Fraud and Public Administration, will arrive in Bulgaria on 29 October and depart on 30 October as part of a broader European tour aimed at consulting Member States on the bloc’s forthcoming Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). According to a press release from the European Commission Representation in Bulgaria, the visit will involve discussions with Prime Minister Rumen Radev, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Galab Donev, and Deputy Prime Minister responsible for EU funds Atanas Pekanov.
On Thursday, Serafin is scheduled to open a conference entitled "The Next Multiannual Financial Framework: Priorities and Principles" in Sofia. The event, organised in partnership with the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Bulgaria and the Sofia office of the European Council on Foreign Relations, is part of an ongoing effort to simplify funding procedures and improve transparency, as highlighted by stakeholders in the country. The European Commission noted that Serafin has so far visited 22 EU countries during his mandate, gathering insights to shape the 2028‑2034 MFF proposal.
Conference and Commitment to Simplification
The conference will focus on the need to reduce administrative burdens and harmonise regulation across Member States, themes that Commissioner Serafin has repeatedly emphasised elsewhere in his European tour. The European Commission Representation also underlined that improving legal consistency and easing European funding navigation are top priorities within the next MFF cycles.
Following the opening sessions, Serafin will host a roundtable with representatives of the National Association of Municipalities. He intends to discuss the regional aspects of the National and Regional Partnership plans that are slated for the upcoming MFF. The roundtable will provide an opportunity for local officials to outline the demands and perspectives from the municipality level regarding EU financial support.
Visits to Research and Space Technology Hubs
On Friday, the Commissioner will travel to the National STEM Centre located in Sofia Tech Park, a hub managed by the Ministry of Education and Science and co‑funded by the Recovery and Resilience Plan. The centre is a critical laboratory for scientific and engineering research and has been a recipient of EU funding through the Recovery and Resilience Plan initiatives.
Following the STEM Centre visit, Serafin will proceed to the lab and mission control room of EnduroSat, a satellite manufacturer and space service provider backed by the European Innovation Council. EnduroSat receives EU funding to further develop space‑tech capabilities. The European Commission said that Serafin will be accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Atanas Pekanov during both visits, allowing for real‑time dialogue on the practical implications of EU grant structures for such innovative enterprises.
The Commissioner’s itinerary, according to the European Commission, reflects a strategic approach that alternates high‑level dialogue with on‑the‑ground facility visits, a pattern that has been employed during his recent engagements across Member States. Experts from the Bulgarian‑Polish partnership for technological innovation highlighted that the site visits particularly illuminate how government bodies can better align fund‑allocation processes with national innovation agendas.
In the minutes of the conference, the European Commission will distribute a draft of the 2028‑2034 MFF, which includes provisions designed to make application procedures faster and data submission requirements more transparent. Stakeholders who attended the sessions noted that simplified procedures would greatly affect small‑to‑medium enterprises (SMEs), regional authorities, and research institutions – all of which are key players in the EU’s economic cohesion strategy.
The end of the tour will see Serafin hosting a closing discussion with the Prime Minister’s office and the Deputy Prime Ministers, summarising the main achievements of the two‑day visit. Delegates will review the uptake of the conference recommendations, especially regarding the harmonisation of regulatory frameworks and the directive to streamline cross‑boundary funding operations.
