On 30 June 2024, the Centre of Expertise for Multilevel Governance at the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe completed the joint EU/CoE project “Developing fiscal decentralisation and improving local financial management in Bulgaria,” Implemented since June 2022 together with the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works and the National Association of Municipalities in the Republic of Bulgaria, the project resulted in a sequenced roadmap to support the fiscal decentralisation reform at all levels of government, leading to greater financial autonomy for local authorities.
“Fantastically good cooperation with the international project team and benefiting from its exceptional expertise, as well as with the National Association of Municipalities, practically guaranteed excellent results of the project,” stressed Valery Naydenov of the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works, commenting on the project’s completion. “For us, this project was an inspiration: it was a source of bold, innovative ideas that will help us on the way forward,” echoed Silvia Georgieva, Executive Director of the National Association of Municipalities.
The project’s other key achievements included:
- A Technical report on the existing local, administrative and operational framework for municipalities;
- A Peer Review report with recommendations by peers and experts from Armenia, Finland, Italy, Ireland, Portugal, Romania;
- Policy advice paper on fiscal autonomy and financial management of local administration in Bulgaria.
