“The motto of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the EU “Security, Europe!” is a call for more protection of people and borders. More security means a strong army and police, but also more freedom for the economy. To achieve these goals, we need better transport infrastructure, especially for countries like Bulgaria, which are an external border for the Union.” This was announced by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Communications Grozdan Karadzhov at an international conference in Poland on the future and effectiveness of transport funding in the upcoming EU Multiannual Financial Framework post-2027. The forum is attended by European ministers in charge of transport and infrastructure, representatives of the European Commission and NGOs.
Europe should plan more funds for transport development, the Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister said. He said increasing support for mobility is crucial to achieve economic growth, logistical efficiency and climate goals.
Significant investment is needed in rail, public transport and alternative fuels. Intelligent mobility and intelligent traffic systems also require increased funding, added Grozdan Karadzhov.
In his address, he stressed that many regions, especially in Central and Eastern Europe, still need better transport infrastructure to meet EU standards. “The European Commission must therefore continue to focus on this issue, both from a budgetary point of view and as support for enhanced transport integration in the Black Sea region and the Western Balkans. The war in Ukraine has shifted priorities, highlighting the need for secure and sustainable transport corridors, especially for energy and military mobility,” the Deputy Prime Minister was adamant.
The support of our European partners for the continuation of the projects on the North-South transport corridor was the topic of the bilateral meetings of Minister Grozdzan Karadzhov with his counterparts from Greece, Poland, Finland, Cyprus and Lithuania. Speaking to the representative of Poland as the country holding the EU Council Presidency, Minister Karadzhov said: “There is no more difficult topic for me than the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, because many of the procedures and reforms in the last 3 years have been fatally delayed, and the reforms have not been prepared at all.” Grozdan Karadzhov and Dariusz Klimczak expressed a common opinion that more realism and flexibility is needed in the EC's approach in order to implement the projects under the RRP.
Part of the Bulgarian delegation was also the Ambassador of Bulgaria to Poland, H.E. Ms. Margarita Ganeva.
