PRIME MINISTER BOYKO BORISSOV WILL COORDINATE THE PREPARATION AND CONDUCTING OF THE BULGARIAN EU PRESIDENCY

The Bulgarian government approved a report by the Prime Minister Boyko Borissov proposing changes to the national mechanism for coordination of the preparation of the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2018.

The motives for the change are that the Bulgarian EU Presidency was brought forward to the first half of 2018 and the need for a strong political commitment and speeding up the preparation.

In order to achieve more efficient coordination in the implementation of the activities included in the preparation plan and higher commitment of the Cabinet members, it is envisaged the Bulgarian Prime Minister to become the national coordinator for the preparation and implementation of the Presidency, Bulgaria’s government press office said on 31st of August.

The Prime Minister will be responsible for the overall management and control of activities, assisted by the Council of Ministers' Coordination of EU Affairs Directorate.

Deputy prime ministers and ministers will be designated as coordinators for the key areas. Deputy Prime Minister for European Policies Coordination and Institutional Affairs Meglena Kuneva will be responsible for the logistics, the Presidency's team. She will be assisted by the National Centre for Preparation and implementation of the Bulgarian Presidency of the council of the EU.

Deputy Prime Minister for EU Funds and Economic Policy Tomislav Donchev will coordinate the infrastructure and building stock.

Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Roumyana Buchvarova will be responsible for security.

Minister of Finance Vladislav Goranov will oversee the budget, Foreign Minister Daniel Mitov will be responsible for the communications strategy and the Minister of Culture Vezhdi Rashidov - for the cultural programme.

The regulatory functions of the National Centre for the Preparation and Conducting the Bulgarian EU Presidency are to be left unchanged. The thematic working groups, created by a Government decision 425/2015, will be closed down.