Jacek Protas, a Polish MEP, said in Varna that nine EU countries, from Bulgaria to Finland, hit by the war in Ukraine could get up to 10% more EU funding in the next budget period. The proposal is in his report.

For Bulgaria, that means an extra €2.2bn, says MEP Andrey Novakov. The new multi-year EU budget plans €22.3bn for the country. A rise of €2bn is possible as compensation for sectors that have lost money because of the war. Novakov hopes the Bulgarian government will back the goal of 10% more.

Protas also wrote the report on a new fund to guard the EU's eastern borders. He says the affected regions need more public investment and more state aid for business owners. The report proposes dual-use investment: in peacetime it serves local people every day, and in war it has a defence role. All of Europe must stand together and back the hardest-hit regions, Protas said.

A delegation of five MEPs came to Varna at the invitation of Bulgarians Novakov and Emil Radev. The others are Protas, Angelika Winzig from Austria and Sven Simon from Germany. The MEPs wanted to see for themselves the situation in the Black Sea after drone strikes on merchant ships. They visited the Naval Academy and learned about the building of the European Black Sea Security Centre, which will be based in Varna and Constanta.

The visit follows a European Parliament resolution from last week. It calls for a Black Sea mission to protect merchant ships and extra money through the Border Management and Visa Instrument. The European Commission announced a separate strategy for regions along the border with Russia, Ukraine and Belarus and named them a "zone of strategic intervention".

The rising number of attacks on ships is hurting Bulgaria's economy, Radev said. He says insurance for merchant shipping in the Black Sea has gone up more than 5 times, and up to 12 times for tankers. If the attacks happen again, insurance for ships in the area could stop altogether. The MEPs will ask for extra money so the security centre can be built fast. Radev believes it will give Bulgaria and Romania many new opportunities.

"Our visit to Bulgaria as members of the European Parliament carries a clear message: Europe is united and your country is not alone," Sven Simon said. He says security in the Black Sea affects all of Europe, not just the region. Simon believes Europe needs political resolve, financial commitments, stronger defence capabilities, and humanitarian, economic and military aid for Ukraine that does not stop.

Angelika Winzig said Austrians do not know what is happening in countries close to the war, which is why she wanted to see the situation in person. She will present what she has gathered to the EU institutions and in member states.

Novakov called the package complete, but said the Bulgarian government must adopt it and the EU institutions must back it. EU countries are still talking about the final budget. The 2028-2034 framework must be agreed by next summer at the latest and take effect on 1 January 2028, Novakov said.