On 29 and 30 October, Commissioner Piotr Serafin will visit Bulgaria. This visit is particularly significant as it will mark the end of the Tour d'Europe across all 27 EU Member States. This final stop will focus on the next EU’s long-term budget, research, and space technology.
STOP 1: Where Europe’s next chapter begins (29 October)
Commissioner Serafin will begin his visit by delivering opening remarks at the conference The Next Multiannual Financial Framework: Priorities and Principles, organised by the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Sofia, together with the European Commission Representation in Bulgaria and the European Council on Foreign Relations.
With Member States working to finalise negotiations on the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), the conference will provide an opportunity to exchange views on the priorities that should shape Europe’s long-term spending. The Commission continues to work with Member States and the European Parliament to support them build agreement on the future budget.
STOP 2: Every euro starts with a choice (29 October)
Commissioner Serafin will meet Galab Donev, Bulgaria’s Minister of Finance, to discuss the negotiations on the next EU budget, focusing on the timeline and Bulgaria’s position on the revenue side.
As negotiations advance, discussions on how the EU budget is financed are an important part of reaching an agreement that balances the priorities and concerns of Member States.
STOP 3: Bulgaria’s priorities, Europe’s future (29 October)
Commissioner Serafin will meet Rumen Radev, Prime Minister of Bulgaria, to exchange views on the country’s political priorities, the rule of law, and the negotiations on the EU’s next long-term budget.
This meeting will be a great opportunity for Commissioner Serafin to listen to the position of the Member State, with the objective of facilitating a final agreement on the next MFF which delivers for all EU citizens.
STOP 4: Europe begins close to home (30 October)
The next day, the Commissioner will meet with representatives of the National Association of the Municipalities. Their discussion will focus on regional aspects of the National and Regional Partnership plans in the next Multiannual Financial Framework (2028-2034).
The participants attending will include the CEO of the National Association of the Municipalities, the Chairman of the National Association of the Municipalities and Mayor of Veliko Tarnovo, the Vice-Chairman of the National Association of the Municipalities and Mayor of Dimitrovgrad, the Mayor of Sofia, and the Head of the “Strategic Development of Municipalities”.
Local authorities bring first-hand knowledge of the needs and challenges facing their communities. Their perspectives are particularly relevant as the future partnership plans are discussed, helping ensure that regional and local considerations are part of the conversation about the next EU budget.
STOP 5: From the classroom to the cosmos (30 October)
Later in the day, Commissioner Serafin will visit, together with Deputy Prime Minister Atanas Pekanov, the National STEM Centre. The centre forms part of Bulgaria’s broader investment in STEM education under the Recovery and Resilience Plan. The EU contribution to the wider STEM-centres investment is €243 million, supporting modern learning facilities, teacher training and STEM laboratories in schools, alongside the national and regional centres. The new centre provides specialist spaces for learning and practical exploration in areas including robotics, green technologies, 3D prototyping, mathematics, and natural sciences.
They will then visit EnduroSat, a satellite manufacturer, whose goal is to make space universally accessible. The European Innovation Council has made a €10 million equity investment in the firm, supporting its development as an innovative European business.
These two visits will provide an opportunity to see how EU budget support translates into concrete outcomes, helps innovative ideas grow, and strengthens Europe’s competitiveness.
