A working group set up to prepare a new Bulgaria-Turkey programme for 2028-2034 met for the first time in Burgas, opened by deputy regional development minister Desislava Georgieva, who heads the programme's managing authority.

Over the past 20 years, more than 88 million euros have gone into towns and villages along the border between the two countries, Georgieva said. The money funded more than 280 projects in the economy, tourism, environmental protection and border security, with over 600 partners taking part.

"Our goal was to pin down the region's top priorities and hear what people on both sides of the border actually need," the deputy minister said. She said talks are under way with all interested parties, with more meetings planned in various formats.

Georgieva said the new funding period will demand more speed and flexibility, both from institutions and from those who receive the money. Targets will have to be met in shorter timeframes, without the cushion of the current "n+3" rule, which gives an extra three years to spend the funds.

Competition between programmes across Europe will get tougher, so preparation needs to start in depth right from the beginning, she said. Priorities will be chosen based on local wants and needs, but also on the risks, trends and opportunities ahead. The framework has to keep up with a faster pace and stay flexible, since change never stops, Georgieva said.

Those at the meeting included Burgas deputy regional governor Georgi Madzharov and Serdar Öztürk, deputy director general of the financial cooperation and project implementation directorate at Turkey's EU Affairs Directorate. Margarita Grancharska-de Muynck from the European Commission's regional and urban policy directorate joined online. Representatives of state bodies from both countries and of non-government organisations also attended.

Work on the new EU-funded programme began in early 2026. It will set out how the money is shared out over the next seven years, drawing on lessons from the previous three programme periods.

"Our aim is to have the programme ready and submitted to the European Commission by the end of next year," Georgieva said. The programme is called Interreg VI-A IPA Bulgaria-Turkey and is run by the ministry of regional development and public works.