European Commission Transfers Nearly €900 Million to Bulgaria Under the Recovery and Resilience Plan

Bulgaria has received its fourth payment under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, amounting to €896 million. Following a positive assessment by the European Commission, 23 of the 26 milestones and targets included in the request were deemed to have been successfully fulfilled. This is the first payment Bulgaria has received under its National Recovery and Resilience Plan in 2026. Securing timely funding from the Recovery and Resilience Facility was one of the government's key priorities, the Council of Ministers' press office said on July 31.

The total amount of funding received from the European Commission for completed and approved reform and investment measures under the Plan has now exceeded €4.169 billion, representing 68% of the total allocation available to Bulgaria under the Recovery and Resilience Facility.

The completed milestones and targets include key reforms in anti-corruption legislation and the entry into force of the rules establishing the Anti-Corruption Authority. The European Commission also approved as completed legislative measures in the field of vocational education and training, the establishment of a National Decarbonisation Fund, and legislation promoting electric mobility and the creation of low-emission zones in Sofia and Plovdiv.

The Commission also approved investments in information and communication technologies and cybersecurity for small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as investments making a significant contribution to digitalisation. The Monitorstat system has been upgraded in relation to strategic planning documents, while administrative processes in judicial order-for-payment and administrative proceedings have been digitised. The establishment of an electronic information system for tracking food production processes from farm to table has also been approved. An online geothermal mapping tool identifying areas with the highest potential for geothermal energy has likewise been made available as part of the request.

The receipt of this payment is the result of the consistent and intensive work carried out by all responsible institutions in fulfilling Bulgaria's commitments under the Plan, as well as effective co-operation with the European Commission. Two of the three outstanding measures have been proposed for renegotiation. These concern the transport reform introducing a unified ticketing system, where technical issues arose, and the reform of the water supply and sanitation sector. The third relates to the final payments under the National Culture Fund, where implementation is said to be close to completion.

The €109 million withheld from the third payment request in connection with the reform of the Prosecutor General's office is also expected to be disbursed in the coming weeks. Work on implementing the Plan is continuing, with a focus on completing the remaining reforms and investments on schedule so that Bulgaria can absorb the full amount of available European funding and deliver long-term benefits for citizens and businesses.