The European Commission confirmed that it will withhold part of the second payment to Bulgaria under the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP) until the country fulfills one of the key conditions – the reform of the Anti-Corruption Commission. The amount in question has not been officially disclosed by Brussels, but Deputy Prime Minister Tomislav Donchev stated earlier that it is around €200 million.
Commission spokesperson Maciej Berestecki explained that Bulgaria has already received a formal letter specifying the amount that will not be paid unless the required condition concerning the Anti-Corruption Commission is met. “There is a one-month deadline for Bulgaria to respond. If, after that period, the Commission determines that the milestone remains unfulfilled, payment will be withheld for another six months,” Berestecki said.
He firmly rejected any connection between this decision and a letter sent by the Renew Europe group to the European Commission regarding the arrest of Varna Mayor Blagomir Kotsev, who faces bribery charges. “These are entirely separate matters,” Berestecki stressed, dismissing claims that the Commission’s assessment of Bulgaria’s RRP funds was influenced by political concerns.
The European Commission’s decision follows Bulgaria’s submission of its second payment request under the plan on July 23, 2025, for a total amount of €653 million. According to the EC’s assessment, Bulgaria has successfully met 58 out of 59 milestones and targets required for the release of the funds. The only pending condition is the completion of the reform of the Anti-Corruption Commission – a key structural change intended to strengthen transparency and accountability.
Under the established procedure, Bulgaria now has one month to provide additional information or take corrective steps to meet the milestone. If the European Commission determines that the reform remains incomplete after the review, the corresponding portion of the payment will remain suspended. The country would then have six months to fulfill the outstanding requirements. Once the Commission confirms that the milestone has been achieved, the withheld funds could be released.
The Recovery and Resilience Plan is Bulgaria’s main framework for post-pandemic recovery, including investments and reforms in various sectors such as infrastructure, digitalization, education, and governance. The plan provides a total of €6.17 billion in grants from the European Union, allocated to boost economic growth and improve institutional effectiveness.