BULGARIAN MUNICIPALITIES: KEY PLAYERS IN THE PROCESS OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF EU FUNDS AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL

The role of Bulgarian municipalities in the processes of programs that implement EU funds is absolutely undeniable. They are direct or potential beneficiaries of the major part of the operational programs – both in the previous and current programming period. More so, they are the beneficiaries of so-called “big projects” (according to the European legislation, projects with budgets over €50 million), which are key infrastructure projects in priority sectors such as transport and water infrastructure. This paper is devoted to these municipalities and their attitudes towards European funds in the context of the overall development of the municipalities. The study is based on empirical research among representatives (n = 73) of the Bulgarian municipalities, and their perceptions on the importance of EU funds and programs for the municipalities’ development.