Deputy Minister of Economy and Industry Nikolay Pavlov took part in the regular meeting of the EU Competitiveness Council (Internal Market and Industry), which took place in Brussels. Among the topics discussed at the meeting were improving the business environment and conditions for doing business in Europe, ensuring equal access to the single market through more effective enforcement of legislation, reducing administrative burden and bureaucracy, increasing trade in services, and addressing the challenges of e-commerce.
During the debates, Deputy Minister Pavlov expressed support for directing the measures and initiatives in the Action Plan for Services, part of the European Commission’s planned single market strategy, toward a clear goal of supporting entrepreneurs in the services sector. “Creating a more open and dynamic EU services market requires, above all, identifying and removing all unjustified or disproportionate regulatory and administrative barriers to cross-border service provision, which hinder market access and create legal uncertainty for service providers,” said Deputy Minister Nikolay Pavlov.
The Council also underscored that the Net-Zero Industry Act must support the transition of energy-intensive industries, as they face the greatest difficulties. For all enterprises, whether small or large, implementing an Action Plan for Affordable Energy is crucial. It is important to build infrastructure and energy storage systems to reduce vulnerability to external shocks and enhance energy security. At the meeting, most Member States and EU institution representatives focused on placing competitiveness at the forefront of European Commission policies and simplifying the regulatory framework to help Europe catch up. Deputy Minister Nikolay Pavlov commented that he hopes Bulgaria will have more financing opportunities to stimulate project activity in clean technologies and attract private investment. He also highlighted the significant role of nuclear energy and the importance of natural gas as a transitional fuel toward a low-carbon economy.
Within the meeting, ministers from Member States also debated a key priority for the current institutional cycle in the EU: simplifying the regulatory framework. Deputy Minister Pavlov emphasized three main areas of work: “developing high-quality legislation, simplifying existing rules, and ensuring their correct and uniform application by all.” The Member States agreed on the need for urgent, well-targeted measures to substantially improve the EU’s regulatory environment in order to preserve production within the EU, create jobs, and generate growth.