Bulgaria is significantly late with the implementation of the Recovery and Sustainability Plan, says the report on our country for 2024, which is part of the spring package of the European Semester. in which Brussels analyzes the socio-economic development in the member countries and makes recommendations to them. The information is reported by BNT.
The recovery and sustainability plan for Bulgaria is in the amount of 5.689 billion euros in the form of grants. So far, Bulgaria has received only one payment in the amount of 1.37 billion euros, which represents 24% of the entire amount. Our country still has 4.3 billion euros, but they will be paid after the assessment of the implementation of the remaining 299 stages and goals. So far, Bulgaria has fulfilled only 22 goals out of a total of 321. The deadline for the implementation of the Recovery Plan is August 2026.
Since 15 May, the European Commission has been working together with the Bulgarian authorities to help them meet the requirements for the second payment. Brussels expects Bulgaria to improve the functioning and increase the capacity of the administration, including at the regional level, to increase the quality of public procurement and to strengthen the independence and functioning of regulators. Improving the business environment is also essential. About 53% of investors in our country are not confident that their investments are protected by the law and the judicial system.
Bulgaria faces several challenges related to the decarbonisation of the economy and energy production, says the EC report. According to Brussels, the delayed liberalization of the electricity market – which is one of the essential reforms under the Recovery and Resilience Plan – hinders the transition to clean and affordable energy.
According to the analysis, the heating systems in Bulgaria are often in poor technical condition and most of them are mainly natural gas or coal. In 2023, there was a significant increase in the implementation of solar photovoltaics, but the use of wind energy in the country has been stagnant for the past ten years. Bulgaria also lacks sufficient storage capacity for energy from renewable sources.
Bulgaria continues to have poor indicators in terms of energy poverty. The proportion of the population unable to heat their homes adequately is 22.5% in 2022, the highest rate within the EU and well above the EU average of 9.3%.
Greenhouse gas emissions from transport are a serious problem for Bulgaria, especially from road transport. Greenhouse gas emissions have increased by 29% in 2022 (compared to 2005 levels). The use of passenger cars remains high, while the share of battery electric vehicles is still very low. In Bulgaria, there is still a lack of adequate infrastructure for charging electric vehicles, which hinders the introduction of electric mobility.
The EC report shows a deterioration of education in Bulgaria over the last year. The country has shown lower results in recent editions of international assessments compared to previous years. The proportions of underachieving pupils in maths, reading and science are among the most worrying in the EU. 53.5% of 15-year-olds do not have a minimum proficiency level in mathematics, 52.9% - in reading and 48% - in the field of science.
The levels of digital skills in Bulgaria remain much lower than the EU average (35.5% in Bulgaria vs. 55.5% in the EU). The percentage of adults in further education or retraining courses is also very low, although this is one of the highlights of the just transition plans for the coal regions.