The new European Parliament is structured and active work begins. What plans does the EU have and where is Bulgaria's place in them... MEP Andrey Novakov (GERB-SDS/EPP) spoke to FAKTI.
- Mr. Novakov, the European Parliament has already been structured and started working. What will be the priorities in the new mandate?
- In the new mandate, the European Parliament will focus on improving the competitiveness and independence of the European economy in terms of energy and technology, as well as in terms of security. Priorities will be the preservation of the environment, the transition to carbon neutrality and putting innovation at the center of economic development. The events of the last two years have highlighted the need to optimize security and defense policy in the EU. On a personal level, as the EPP's regional policy coordinator, my main priority is to maintain the understanding of cohesion policy as a key factor in leveling inequalities in the EU. This includes protecting resources for regional development and ensuring the formulation of goals and priorities together with regions and local authorities. On the other hand, in transport policy, the debate on the transition to carbon neutrality and the use of clean transport methods is expected to continue. The objectives of the Green Deal must be adapted to the particularities of individual regions, and the energy transition will also be considered on the agenda.
- Europe is moving, and Schengen by land for us is getting closer. Are these our expectations related to the report due to be announced on December 12? Austria becomes our friend and says “yes“… The Netherlands is also starting to “like us more“…
- Our expectations are positive, because Bulgaria has long since fulfilled all conditions and criteria for full Schengen membership. The signals from the Council and the Commission in this regard are unequivocal, and it is no coincidence that the debate in the European Parliament in Strasbourg during its last plenary session was also in this direction. My experience in the European Parliament so far has taught me never to be happy in advance, because in Brussels “nothing is agreed until everything is agreed”. But still, the trend is clear and I will not hide that on the sidelines of the European institutions they are already preparing to open champagne. And I understand them, because the road to this point was long and difficult. Until recently, the stumbling blocks were partly internal politics, with our country often held hostage to political talk and efforts by some politicians to win electoral support with negative talk. However, thanks to hard work and dialogue with member states, we are seeing increasing support from Austria and the Netherlands.
- What has changed to expect a “yes“ from Austria?
- The change is the result of our efforts to present Bulgaria as a reliable partner and defender of the EU's external borders. Improvements in border control and the management of migration flows have played a key role. Also important are the diplomatic efforts and partnerships we cultivate, as well as overcoming political barriers within other member states.
- You are a member of the EP transport committee. You said that Bulgaria in Schengen by land means a lot of money and time saved. How will this happen - immediately, will there be a grace period?
- Our Schengen membership will bring significant economic benefits, through the elimination of internal border checks. This will reduce transport time and costs for business, increasing our competitiveness. I expect the effects to be felt soon after the positive decision, but some processes may require a short grace period to adapt to Schengen. I believe that with coordination and the will to act, these changes will occur quickly and effectively.
- Another committee you participate in is the one on regional development. What does Bulgaria expect in this direction?
- It is very difficult to outline the expectations from the Bulgarian side in the absence of a regular government and a normally functioning National Assembly. In recent years, our country seems unwilling to invest the billions of euros under the cohesion policy and the Mechanism for Recovery and Sustainability. This is simply not a priority on the agenda and the numbers prove it - to date we have only 6.5% of the amounts actually paid out under the European programs and 8.5% under the National Plan for Recovery and Sustainability.
I.e. at Christmas this year we will have only 2.6 billion BGN invested European funds under cohesion and under the Plan from a total of 35 billion BGN
And the program period began in 2021, when it was also the last regular government with a clear priority on European funds.
On November 28, a Council of General Affairs on the subject of cohesion was held in Brussels, where the ministers of the member states adopted conclusions on the future of cohesion policy. The express question to ministers and permanent representatives was “how to improve the shared management of cohesion funds with a view to the principle of subsidiarity in the future?“ Germany and Lithuania had separate points, the speeches of 4-5 separate ministers are already in the Western press. Let us now imagine how these topics and processes are relevant against the background of what is happening in the Bulgarian parliament.
For next year, as far as cohesion policy is concerned, I see the following priorities:
- significant acceleration of program implementation, especially in terms of physical infrastructure;
- to preserve the principle of shared management and partnership with regions, cities and rural areas;
- radical simplification of the rules of the future cohesion policy
I hope there will be a regular government that will have the same priorities.
- Ekaterina Zaharieva became a European Commissioner with the portfolio "Startups, Research and Innovations". What will be the place of Bulgaria in this direction, how do you see the development of this policy of the EU as a whole?
- There is a real chance that by the end of his mandate, the Bulgarian European Commissioner will manage a resource of the order of 200 billion. euro. This would be a historic success for our country. It is with this European resource that the Union will break the barriers of innovation potential on the territory of the 27 countries. We will create and strengthen our innovative companies and continue to shape the next generation of European scientists.
In the last decade, Bulgaria has become a generator of innovative and technological companies with real developments and global successes.
This is recognition for them as well. Our branding with this resource will also help the ecosystem of such companies in the country, as well as the prospects for attracting domestic and foreign investors in the technological sphere. The very fact that the Bulgarian European Commissioner did a great job during his hearing in the European Parliament is also a huge hope for something else. For years, only a few countries in the Union have utilized the majority of European funds for innovation. We need this to change in the direction of greater participation by countries like ours. The last Bulgarian European Commissioners also contributed to this.
My expectation for research and innovation policy is that it will focus more resources in fewer and more applied areas. Another assumption of mine is that these European funds will also have to serve the objective need for more investments in the security and defense of the European Union. From investments in dual-use technologies to direct support of companies operating in security and defense. For example, what prevents the EU from funding the propulsion and sensor system of an autonomous all-terrain vehicle developed by an Estonian company, and then deploying this platform on the battlefield?