A working group tasked with drawing up the new Bulgaria-Turkey cooperation programme for 2028-2034 held its first meeting in Burgas, the regional development ministry says. Over the past 20 years, the Interreg VI-A IPA Bulgaria-Turkey programme has put more than 88 million euros into towns and villages along the border.

Deputy regional development minister Desislava Georgieva, who heads the programme's managing authority, opened the meeting.

So far the programme has funded over 280 projects in areas such as the economy, tourism, the environment and border security, involving more than 600 partners.

The current 2021-2027 programme covers three Bulgarian provinces — Burgas, Yambol and Haskovo — and two Turkish provinces, Edirne and Kirklareli. Its budget is 34,415,251 euros.

Work on the new EU-funded programme starts in early 2026. "We want the programme ready and handed to the European Commission by the end of next year," Georgieva said.

She said talks are under way with all interested parties, with meetings held in various formats. "Our goal was to work out the region's top priorities and hear what both sides of the border really need," the deputy minister said.

Georgieva said institutions and fund recipients will have to move faster, work more flexibly and prepare better next time round. That's because they won't be able to rely on the "N+3" rule, which currently gives them three extra years to spend the money — targets will have to be met in shorter timeframes. Competition between programmes across Europe is getting tougher too, so thorough preparation from the start is needed, along with making the most of lessons learned from the previous three periods.

The ministry said it will set strategic priorities based on local ambitions and needs, risks, key trends and upcoming opportunities. The programme will need to keep pace with a faster tempo while staying flexible amid constant change.

The meeting was attended by Serdar Öztürk, deputy director-general of Turkey's Directorate for EU Affairs, financial cooperation and project implementation department, and Margarita Grancharska-de Muynck from the European Commission's regional and urban policy department, who joined online. Representatives of state bodies and non-governmental organisations from both countries also took part.

Interreg VI-A IPA Bulgaria-Turkey is funded by the EU through the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance. Its goal is to bring the border area between the two countries closer together. The money backs the local economy and digital and green projects, and widens access to public services while improving their quality. It also helps institutions work together to manage migration better along the border.