The Bulgarian businesses and citizens hope that the energy transition funds will benefit them

There are sufficient funds earmarked for Bulgaria in order for its energy transition to be successful. However, our country should not risk missing out on them due to the current uncertain political situation in which it finds itself. Businesses and citizens must be sure that the funds will reach them. The main problem is people's disbelief that the Green Deal in Bulgaria can be implemented in such a way as to help all those affected.

These are the main conclusions around which Bulgarian and European experts gathered during the "Expanding Opportunities" webinar organized by Brand Media Bulgaria. It is part of the "Transition of Opportunities" project, co-financed by the European Union.

The moderator of the event was Angelina Todorova, a Bulgarian expert on European policies and former deputy minister of regional development.

In the first panel, the participants focused on the key factors for a successful transformation, aid for small and medium-sized enterprises and what the future holds for the coal regions.

Genady Kondarev, senior associate for Central and Eastern Europe at E3G – an organization working to achieve a safe climate future - focused on the increasingly rapidly changing energy sector worldwide. According to him, Bulgaria must act quickly and decisively in order to be a leader in the transformation.

The number 1 priority for Bulgaria is not to miss out on the available funds," said Kondarev.

Duygu Kutluay, an activist from Beyond Fossil Fuels, presented the results of a survey conducted among 6 countries on the ways they had dealt with the energy crisis. The bottom line was that the crisis did not affect companies that had already implemented green solutions. Others, however, have found themselves at a disadvantage.

Administrative capacity in companies should be supported, and technical assistance should be provided so that they can apply for funding," she commented.

Kristina Lazarova, CEO of EGGS Ltd - a consulting company in the field of the environment, stated that the main challenge before the energy transformation is the successful implementation of the reforms. According to her, Bulgaria is lagging behind in that respect.

The transition requires complex measures, high-level investments and an active social policy, and we don't have that," she pointed out.

During the webinar’s second panel, topics related to European funding opportunities were discussed, and an example of how the energy transition is taking place in Slovenia was detailed. In addition, various case studies from the Bulgarian coal regions were discussed.

Agnes Monfret, Head of the Department for Cohesion Policy for Bulgaria, Hungary, and Slovenia at DG REGIO of the European Commission presented all the available financial instruments that Bulgaria can take advantage of. According to her, our country began its green transition more slowly and now needs to speed it up.

Funding is a wonderful thing, but it comes with strict time requirements. It should be used by 2026," she reminded the audience.

Boštjan Krajnc, director of the Energy Agency of the Savinska, Šaleška and Koroška Region (KSSENA Institute) in Slovenia spoke about the main challenges facing the closure of a coal mine.

We are optimistic that we will be able to finish it (the transition) by 2033 and compensate for all the challenges, to find ecological solutions that will be effective", he affirmed.

Bilyana Toncheva, procurator and owner of EcoGlobe consultancy explained in detail what the opportunities for the Bulgarian businesses are, as revealed by the European programs. She emphasized that European programs should be predictable, and companies and citizens should have time to prepare.

More and more companies seek public funding for their technological modernization," she said.

Co-financed by the European Union. However, the views and opinions expressed are entirely those of their author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the European Union or the European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the European Commission is responsible for them.

Translated by Tzvetozar Vincent Iolov