Today, September 30, 2026, Bulgaria sent to the European Commission the fifth, final payment request under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), amounting to EUR 1,823 million.
Our country has successfully finalized its implementation, reporting on the last 59 stages and goals of landmark reforms and investments under the NRP, such as the construction of the new Anti-Corruption Commission, the introduction of integrity tests for civil servants, improvement of the public procurement system, the introduction of measures to achieve a higher quality of water supply and sanitation services, etc.
The government has made serious efforts to catch up on delays in implementation and to successfully complete investments of high economic and social importance in all spheres of economic and social life, supported by the state.
Among the successfully completed investments that fully achieved the set goals agreed with the EC are the construction of the material base of the overall STEM environment in the country - the National STEM Center and three regional and successfully completed over 2,000 STEM laboratories in all operating schools - state and municipal; the modernization of over 174 educational institutions, including university campuses, vocational schools and school dormitories, including newly built kindergartens and schools; the purchase of equipment for over 50 hospitals - oncology, pediatrics and the construction of centers for cerebrovascular diseases with highly functional equipment, as well as the renovation of 25 psychiatric institutions throughout the country; the equipment of 100 outpatient clinics in settlements with limited access to medical services; the renovation of nearly 250 homes for the elderly and care facilities for people with disabilities; the provision of over 2,000 aids to people with permanent disabilities; improvement of railway services through 32 electric multiple units; construction of 3 new metro stations and purchase of 8 new metro units in Sofia. Over 600,000 people from underserved areas (including rural and sparsely populated areas) have gained access to very high capacity internet networks. Energy efficiency measures have been implemented on over 2 billion m² of residential buildings, as well as over 500 non-residential and commercial buildings. Street lighting in over 100 municipalities has been upgraded to energy efficiency. Over 5,000 MWh of batteries are connected to the electricity grid and nearly 1,500 MW of RES with batteries have been connected. With the implementation of these investments, Bulgaria has significantly increased the share of renewable energy in its energy mix and positioned itself as a regional leader in its storage.
The European Commission will assess the payment request within two months.