Bansko visited the fifth annual meeting of the local authorities in Bulgaria

The meeting of the National Association of Municipalities (NAMRB) was organized from 9th to 11th October. It is the fifth annual meeting of the local authorities in Bulgaria. The deputy mayor Peter Baryakov, secretary of the municipality Vesselinka Durchova and vice president of the municipal council Asya Rupchina were at the meeting.

The first law for the municipalities and urban management in Bulgaria was published on 12 October 1882. This day was chosen for the celebration day of the municipalities. The event is organized as an annual meeting of the local authorities since 2000.

The forum was attended by over 1000 municipal leaders, mayors, presidents of municipal councils, municipal councellors and experts to discuss the local government in Bulgaria.

Traditionally, the meeting was attended by the representatives of the central government – minister - president Sergey Stanishev.

This year the meeting was organized by the Ambassador of France Republic - Etienne de Ponce. The activities involved in the forum were centered on increasing transparency and efficiency in the Bulgarian municipalities, mostly in absorption of the money from European Union, as a prerequisite for better quality of the municipal public services.

In the first day of the meeting, there were presented a variety of successful municipal practices in different areas – the submitting of social services in the partnership, the introduction of health education for children and students, the construction and management of purifying stations and the practices of good municipal level.

The second day was devoted to the mechanism for the conversion of municipalities in successful beneficiaries of the European funds. The municipalities and leaderships of operational programs, Regional development and Environment and the program for the development of rural regions, discussed the achieved results and priorities for the next year.

There were presented the municipal practices and challenges in the preparation and implementation of the projects. The third day was devoted to the meetings with the ministerial governments. They discussed the actual questions connected with the municipalities.