A declaration adopted at the “Mayors Talk” forum calls for continuous dialogue, predictable funding and concrete solutions in energy and climate policy.

Gabrovo, 15 July 2026 – The EcoEnergy Municipal Energy Efficiency Network and the participants in the Mayors Talk discussion forum have issued a declaration calling for municipalities to be treated as equal partners of the national government in the preparation and implementation of policies on energy, climate and building renovation.
The document is the outcome of the fifth edition of the forum, held on 24-25 June in Gabrovo under the motto “Awaiting the Budget: Will We Find Solutions to Delayed Processes?” The event brought together 66 delegates, including representatives of 14 Bulgarian municipalities and a number of professional organisations.

According to the participants, the forthcoming decisions concerning the next Multiannual Financial Framework of the European Union, the future national and regional plans, the National Building Renovation Plan, the Social Climate Plan, the National Decarbonisation Fund and the programmes under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan will shape Bulgaria’s development opportunities for years to come. These processes must therefore be prepared with the active involvement of municipalities, which will bear a significant share of the responsibility for their practical implementation.

The declaration stresses that the absence of early and meaningful dialogue leads to delays, unclear rules, the loss of projects that are already prepared, compromises in quality and a lack of trust among citizens, businesses and local administrations. Municipalities should not be regarded merely as final beneficiaries or implementers of decisions that have already been made. They must be involved in defining priorities, rules, financial mechanisms and indicators of success.

“Municipalities are ready to be active and responsible partners of the national government. However, this partnership must begin when the direction, rules and responsibilities are being defined, rather than after the programmes have already been announced,” said Tanya Hristova, Mayor of Gabrovo Municipality and Chair of the EcoEnergy Management Board.

Five Immediate Actions
Through the declaration, the forum participants call for:
1. A permanent format for dialogue and joint work between the national government, municipalities, financial institutions, professional organisations and civil society. It should ensure that priorities, rules, deadlines, risks and practical challenges are discussed at an early stage.

2. The full involvement of municipalities in preparing Bulgaria’s positions on the European Union budget for the 2028-2034 period and the future partnership plans, including a clear regional and local dimension for the planned investments.

3. A transition from short-term, campaign-based programmes to a permanent building renovation policy, based on predictable rules, sustainable funding, technical assistance, protection for vulnerable households and access to credit.

4. Public and timely institutional information on the National Decarbonisation Fund and the Social Climate Plan, including schedules, rules, eligible measures, levels of support, institutional responsibilities and opportunities for technical assistance.

5. The development of a National Housing Strategy linking building renovation, vacant homes, affordable rents, professional management of multi-owner residential buildings, social protection and the quality of the urban environment.

The document pays particular attention to building renovation. The participants call for an end to the stop-start approach under which programmes are announced for short periods, conditions are changed and projects that have already been prepared are left without funding. A permanent programme is needed, with predictable rules, co-financing, targeted protection for energy-poor households and access to financial instruments.
The declaration also calls for a single official source of information on the future financial products of the National Decarbonisation Fund. Contradictory public messages are already creating unrealistic expectations among citizens and opportunities for dubious intermediaries and unqualified consultants, while municipalities are being forced to answer questions without having reliable information themselves.

The declaration has been sent to the Council of Ministers, the relevant ministries and the National Association of Municipalities in the Republic of Bulgaria, together with an invitation to continue the dialogue and begin joint work on the proposed actions.
The full text of the declaration is available here.

For further information:
EcoEnergy Municipal Energy Efficiency Network
ecoenergy@ecoenergy-bg.net
www.ecoenergy-bg.net
Tanya Hristova 
Mayor of Gabrovo Municipality and Chair of the EcoEnergy Management Board
Email: gabrovo@gabrovo.bg

Dragomir Tzanev 
Executive Director of the EcoEnergy Secretariat
Email: dtzanev@eneffect.bg
Tel.: +359 882 493 110