5th Monitoring Committee Meeting of the Interreg VI-A IPA Bulgaria – North Macedonia Programme, held in Sandanski

On 27 May 2025, the 5th meeting of the Monitoring Committee (MC) of the Interreg VI-A IPA Bulgaria – North Macedonia 2021–2027 Programme took place in the town of Sandanski, Republic of Bulgaria.

The meeting was chaired by Ms. Yura Yordanova-Vitanova, Deputy Minister of Regional Development and Public Works of the Republic of Bulgaria, and co-chaired by Mr. Stefan Vangelski, National Coordinator for Cross-Border Cooperation at the Ministry of Local Self-Government of the Republic of North Macedonia.

Ms. Gabi Hagmueller, representative of the Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy of the European Commission, joined the meeting online and welcomed the participants, highlighting the strategic importance of the programme for enhancing cross-border cooperation and EU integration in the region.

During the meeting, the Committee adopted several key documents and decisions:

• The Application Package and Evaluation Rules under Priority 3: "Integrated Development of the Cross-Border Region", Specific Objective 1: "Enhancing the competitiveness of the local economy and improving the business environment";

• The Evaluation Report under the Restricted Call for proposals for Governance Project Proposal, Reference Number 2021TC16IPCB006–2024–4, under Priority 3;

• A Proposal for Overcontracting under the Interreg VI-A IPA Bulgaria – North Macedonia Programme.

It was announced that the Call for Proposals targeting Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) under Priority 3, Specific Objective 1, will be officially launched on 2 June 2025.

Additionally, the following updates were presented:

• An overview of contracted projects under Priority 3, Specific Objective 2: "Fostering the integrated and inclusive social, economic and environmental local development, culture, natural heritage, sustainable tourism and security, in areas other than urban areas";

• Progress in the implementation of contracted projects under Priority 1: "Greener Border region"; and Strategic Project under Priority 2: "More connected border region";

• Reports on Technical Assistance activities for 2024 provided by the Managing Authority and the National Authority of the Programme.

The meeting was marked by constructive dialogue and a strong commitment from all partners to continue working together towards the successful implementation of the programme and the achievement of its shared goals for the cross-border region.