Three Bulgarian MEPs have asked the European Commission to clarify whether it has requested information from Bulgarian authorities about alleged irregularities in cultural projects financed under the country's Recovery and Resilience Plan. The written question, submitted on 24 April 2026 by Hristo Petrov (Renew), Nikola Minchev (Renew) and Radan Kanev (PPE), follows media reports that several projects linked to the same person received funding through different companies, with amounts significantly exceeding industry norms, and that some decisions were taken in the final days of the previous government. The MEPs invoke Article 22 of the RRF Regulation, which requires member states to prevent fraud, corruption, conflicts of interest and double funding.
whether the Commission has sought clarifications from Bulgaria; whether similar suspicions have arisen for other RRF projects in the country; and whether the Commission considers Bulgaria's control mechanisms sufficient to ensure quality management of funding. The MEPs also ask what further action the Commission intends to take in response to signs of weak controls and lack of transparency.
Policy orientation and expected follow-up The question signals a push for stricter oversight of RRF spending in Bulgaria, particularly in the cultural sector. The MEPs are pressing the Commission to verify that national control systems meet EU standards and to act if they fall short. The Commission is expected to reply within approximately six weeks; its answer will indicate whether it shares the MEPs' concerns and whether it plans to request corrective measures or suspend payments. The outcome could affect the disbursement of Bulgaria's RRF funds and set a precedent for how the Commission handles similar allegations in other member states.
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