Bulgaria has asked the European Commission for the last 1.823 billion euros under its National Recovery and Resilience Plan. The government sent the fifth and final payment request today, September 30, covering the last 59 milestones and targets — meaning the whole plan is now complete.
The reforms in this final report include setting up a new anti-corruption commission, integrity checks for civil servants, a better public procurement system, and steps to improve water and sewage services.
In education, the plan built one national STEM centre and three regional ones, and more than 2,000 STEM labs now run in state and municipal schools across the country. Over 174 education buildings have been upgraded — university campuses, vocational schools, student dorms, plus new kindergartens and schools.
In healthcare, more than 50 hospitals got new equipment, including cancer, paediatric and stroke units. Twenty-five psychiatric hospitals across the country have been renovated. In areas with poor access to care, 100 outpatient clinics were equipped, and close to 250 homes for the elderly and people with disabilities were refurbished. People with permanent disabilities received more than 2,000 assistive devices.
On rail transport, 32 electric trains were bought, and the Sofia metro got three new stations and eight new trains. More than 600,000 people in villages and other underserved areas now have high-speed internet.
On energy, efficiency upgrades now cover more than 2 billion square metres of homes and over 500 non-residential and commercial buildings. More than 100 towns also switched to cheaper street lighting. Close to 1,500 MW of renewable capacity with batteries has been connected to the grid, along with more than 5,000 MWh of battery storage.
The government says all these investments have been completed and fully meet the targets agreed with the Commission. It says Bulgaria has raised its share of renewable energy and is now a regional leader in energy storage. The cabinet also says it worked to catch up on delays and finish the investments that matter most for the economy and society.
The European Commission now has two months to assess the request.