Around 20 representatives of Bulgarian civic organisations met in Sofia on 16 November 2023 to provide the CEGG international experts with insights on the draft Policy Advice document on fiscal equalisation and on measures to promote fiscal autonomy at local level.

The Policy Advice document is one of the main outputs of the project ‘22BG07 – Developing fiscal decentralisation and improving local financial management in Bulgaria’, a joint project financed by the European Union through the Technical Support Instrument (DG Reform) and implemented by the Centre of Expertise for Good Governance of the Council of Europe.

In line with Good Governance principles of openness and transparency, and democratic participation, the civic consultation (organised by the Citizen Participation Forum) ensured that the document will be further developed taking into account the needs of Bulgarian people.

Participants stressed that “municipalities need to have autonomy and plan their investments based on actual needs.”

The consultation was also joined online by municipal  financial experts, who had gathered in the municipality of Troyan to attend a Local Finance Benchmarking training organised by the National Association of Municipalities of the Republic of Bulgaria in the context of the project.

Following the consultation with civic organisations and a meeting with officials from both the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works of the Republic of Bulgarian, the CEGG experts will finalise the document which will contribute to further advance the reform of financial decentralisation in the Republic of Bulgaria.