Cross-border cooperation Bulgaria-Serbia: Investments to improve services and disaster preparedness

The Cross-Border Cooperation Program (INTERREG V-A) Bulgaria - Serbia 2021-2027, managed by the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works, provides significant financial resources to improve services and disaster preparedness in the border regions of the two countries.

Over 4.6 million euros will be allocated to develop new or upgrade existing services in various sectors (excluding tourism and fire prevention) for the benefit of the population in the border regions. Projects can be submitted by national, regional or local public authorities, municipal and state enterprises, and non-governmental organizations. Each project can receive up to 1 million euros, of which 85% are grants and 15% is national co-financing.

In parallel, nearly 7.3 million euros are invested in preparing the population and professional teams to respond to natural disasters and emergencies in the cross-border region. The "RESPONSE" project envisages the delivery of specialized equipment, training of rescue teams and volunteer formations, joint exercises, and preparation of the population. The lead partner from the Bulgarian side is the General Directorate "Fire Safety and Population Protection".

Additionally, over 12 million euros from the program are for business support, with the aim of encouraging micro, small and medium-sized enterprises to develop cross-border value chains, increase their competitiveness and productivity, and reach larger regional and international markets.

At the moment, 50% of the program's resources, or over 17 million euros, have been approved for investment projects in the fields of tourism and disaster risk prevention. With the announcement of the call for services of common interest, 100% of the funds under the program will be invested in its implementation.