Minister Violeta Komitova at the ministerial meeting in Geneva: Bulgaria will invest 1.723 billion euros for sustainable development of cities and regions

600m euros will be used to renovate multi -family residential buildings

Bulgaria will invest 1.723 billion euros in sustainable development of cities and regions. Of this, 185.5m euros can be used to improve housing, including energy efficiency. The funds are under the Regional Development Programme 2021-2027. It will also be possible to implement projects for the construction of "green" infrastructure, municipal housing and improvement of entire neighborhoods. Local stakeholders will also be involved in this process in order to seek local solutions in the fight against climate change and the transition to a green economy.

This was stated by the Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Violeta Komitova in her speech at the ministerial meeting of the 82nd session of the Committee on Urban Development, Housing and Land Management of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), in which she took part online.

Minister Komitova noted that the forum is being held at a difficult time for all mankind due to climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic. "Today, working remotely, millions of people have turned their homes into offices. Others, due to the deepening economic crisis and reduced incomes, find it difficult to service their mortgages and are at risk of losing their homes and even homelessness, "said Minister Komitova.

At this time, more than ever, it is important to ensure that citizens have access to healthy housing at reasonable prices in accordance with the UN Charter on Sustainable Housing, the UN Economic Commission for Europe Strategy for Sustainable Housing and Land Management 2014- 2020 and the Geneva Declaration of Ministers on Sustainable Housing and Urban Development. The topic of "greening" cities by implementing various architectural and urban planning solutions, which will contribute to a better quality of life, is also on the agenda, the minister stressed.

The data shows that buildings in the European Union account for 40% of energy use and 36% of carbon emissions, making them one of the main drivers of climate change, so there is no alternative to changing the energy performance of housing. The renovation will be carried out both with funds from the Regional Development Programme 2021-2027 and through the implementation of measures in the Plan for Reconstruction and Sustainability of the Republic of Bulgaria. The main goals will be energy savings of more than 30%, implementation of sustainable solutions and transition to a green economy. The financial assistance provided for these purposes under the Recovery and Resilience Mechanism is around EUR 600 million. However, the needs for renovation of the housing stock in Bulgaria are much greater because it is highly depreciated, said Minister Komitova.

The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) was established in 1947 and includes 56 countries from Europe, North America and Asia. During the ministerial meeting within the 82nd session of the Committee on Urban Development, Housing and Land Management, the study "Housing 2030: Improving Housing Affordability in the UNECE region" will be presented, which is being developed by UNECE in cooperation with Housing Europe and UN- Habitat. A Regional Action Plan for the Promotion of Sustainable Housing is also expected to be approved as part of the recovery plans following the COVID-19 pandemic.