In brief
European Commissioner for Budget Piotr Serafin arrived in Sofia for a two‑day visit on October 29–30 to discuss the EU’s 2028‑2034 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). He held talks with Prime Minister Rumen Radev, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Galab Donev and Deputy Prime Minister Atanas Pekanov, opened a conference on budget priorities, and toured the National STEM Centre and EnduroSat’s mission control. The visit also included discussions on defence spending, cohesion policy and simplifying EU funding procedures.
European Commissioner for Budget, Anti‑Fraud and Public Administration Piotr Serafin landed in Sofia on Thursday, October 29, and will spend the next two days consulting with Bulgaria’s top officials on the EU’s forthcoming 2028‑2034 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). He is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Rumen Radev, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Galab Donev, and Deputy Prime Minister Atanas Pekanov, with whom he will spend the upcoming Thursday and Friday.
On Thursday, Serafin opened the conference titled The Next Multiannual Financial Framework: Priorities and Principles, an event jointly organized by the European Commission Representation in Bulgaria, the Embassy of Poland in Bulgaria, and the Sofia office of the European Council on Foreign Relations. This conference is reported only by BTA as a new development.
Serafin will also visit the National STEM Centre in Sofia Tech Park, a hub for science, technology, engineering and mathematics co‑funded by the Recovery and Resilience Plan, and then head to the laboratory and mission control room of EnduroSat, a satellite manufacturer that receives EU funding through the European Innovation Council. Assistant Deputy Prime Minister Atanas Pekanov will accompany the Commissioner on these site visits.
During a meeting with Minister Galab Donev, the two discussed revenue strategies for the MFF, with Donev stressing the need for cohesion policy and the Common Agricultural Policy to remain robust:
"We are seeking agreement on appropriate sources of revenue for the EU budget while avoiding additional burdens on national budgets," documented BTA.
Serafin urged the EU to reach consensus on the MFF soon, adding that increased defence investment is essential for security amid regional tensions:
"We must consider the package of proposals as a whole, and some compromises will have to be made," Serafin said in Sofia.
The visit fits into a broader EU Commissioner itinerary aimed at gathering input from member states to shape the next long‑term budget and simplify funding procedures, a theme highlighted across the meetings.
