Andrey Novakov is among the three rapporteurs of the European Parliament on the new regulation on the European Fund for Economic, Social and Territorial Cohesion, Agriculture, Rural Areas, Fisheries and Maritime Policy, Prosperity and Security for the period 2028-2034.
On Monday, January 19, 2026, in the EP in Strasbourg, MEPs will discuss proposals to merge regional, agricultural and other funds into national “packages“, united in the so-called national and regional partnership plans, with the Executive Vice-President of the European Commission Raffaele Fito (Cohesion and Reforms) and Commissioners Piotr Serafin (Budget) and Christoph Hansen (Agriculture).
The proposal, presented by the Commission on 16 July 2025 as part of the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for the period 2028-2034, is a joint responsibility of the Committees on Budgets, Agriculture and Regional Development. The rapporteurs leading the European Parliament's work on the proposal are Carlo Resler (EPP, Croatia – BUDG), Andrey Novakov (EPP, Bulgaria – REGI) and Elsi Katainen (Renew, Finland – AGRI).
The regulation is part of the large-scale package for the next Multiannual Financial Framework of the European Union and will set the rules for the allocation of over €780 billion of European funds to all Member States after 2027.
The fact that a Bulgarian has been chosen as rapporteur for one of the key EU financial instruments is a clear sign of the high trust that Andrey Novakov has built up in the European Parliament, as well as of Bulgaria's active role in shaping the future cohesion and regional policy of the Union.
As an active member of the Committee on Regional Development in the European Parliament, Andrey Novakov consistently works on topics related to cohesion policy and regional development. According to him, the new model, as far as Bulgaria is concerned, envisages a significantly stronger role for regions and municipalities, so that projects reflect the real needs of people on the ground. There is also discussion of a larger share of funds being directed to rural areas - especially important for Bulgaria in view of the challenges related to depopulation.
„The funds will be directed towards improving the standard of living, access to healthcare and better connectivity between cities and villages. We are increasingly seeing families choosing to live in smaller settlements, so it is important to see urban and rural development as interconnected,” Novakov said.
He also stressed the role of mayors and local authorities, as well as the importance of having clear information about the total budget of €22.3 billion, of which:
€19.5 billion is earmarked for agricultural policy, rural development, cohesion policy, migration, security and border control measures;
over €8 billion – for less developed regions;
almost €2 billion – for the Social Climate Fund;
nearly €1 billion – for migration, security and home affairs;
around €733 million – for for cross-border cooperation.
In the upcoming work on the new funding model, the key difference is that not only members of the Committee on Regional Development, but also representatives of the Committees on Budgets and Agriculture will participate in the preparation of the report, which will allow for a more comprehensive and coordinated approach to future European funding.
The role of the rapporteurs is key – they lead the negotiations on behalf of the European Parliament, prepare the report on the legislative proposal and defend the interests of regions, local communities and Member States in the process of negotiating the new European budget and in negotiations with the Council of the European Union.
The new funding model is expected to place a strong emphasis on maintaining targeted funding for rural and most deprived regions, as well as on effective control over the spending of funds so that they bring real European added value.
Work on the regulation will continue in 2026 and 2027, with the European Parliament also preparing an interim report on the negotiations on the multiannual budget, which is expected to be voted on in May 2026.