Smart planning of European programs could bring residents back to Kyustendil

Cross the Deva Baiir Pass and you will see the difference between where there is cohesion policy and where there is not."

With these words, the mayor of Kyustendil, Ognyan Atanasov, opened the seminar "Cohesion in Action," part of the European project Corejio. For Kyustendil, European funds are not just an "injection" into the budget, but the only available tool for correcting decades of injustice.

If we plan the funds for the new programming period correctly, there will be an increase in the number of people coming to live in regions and municipalities like ours, which is extremely important," Atanasov commented.

The event is part of the Corejio project, which works with the mission of "multiple regions in sync for a fair transition." The organizers are the Regional Economic Development Agency – Stara Zagora, with the media partnership of Brand Media Bulgaria, publisher of Economic.bg, and Stara Zagora Television.

The main focus of Atanasov's speech was on the mistakes of the past. The poor regionalization 10 years ago, which left local businesses without adequate funding, is now recognized as a major driver of demographic decline.

This is mainly due to the fact that in the administrative zoning of the country, Kyustendil was part of a region together with the more economically advanced Sofia. The capital "cast a shadow" over the smaller municipalities, which had less access to European funding. The new proposed zoning places Kyustendil in the new South planning region together with Plovdiv, Stara Zagora, Pazardzhik, Haskovo, and Kardzhali – a decision that is close to final approval by the European Commission.

Atanasov emphasized that we must think ahead now. He called for a "top-down" approach, as laid out in the Integrated Territorial Investments (ITI). The mayor is adamant that today's planning will determine whether, in a decade's time, we will be talking about "people flocking in" or "functions dying out."

RES for survival

One of the strongest points in the speech is the pragmatic interpretation of the "green transition." Kyustendil has managed to push through a key change – RES capacities for businesses to be financed only for their own consumption.

Energy is the most expensive component in production. When you lower the price per unit of product through energy savings, you become competitive and can raise your workers' wages," Atanasov points out.

This is "cohesion in action" – support for the real sector that directly affects employees' pockets, rather than simply a subsidy for energy speculators.

The results of the municipality's active campaign are already measurable: 105 financed enterprises in the region, nearly BGN 49 million in resources entering the local economy, and over BGN 25 million concentrated directly in the city of Kyustendil. Each of these companies must create at least three jobs. For a city the size of Kyustendil, this is a vital breath of fresh air.

Translated with DeepL.