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Stara Zagora, Pernik, and Kyustendil will be the focus of the new European project One Cohesion Policy: Multiple Regions in Sync for a Just Transition (COREJIO), which began in October this year and will continue for one year. It focuses on one of the most important policies of the European Union – cohesion policy. The project is implemented by the Stara Zagora Regional Economic Development Agency (SZREDA), Brand Media Bulgaria, and Stara Zagora Television, which are joining forces to make the topics of just transition, European investments, and the effect of cohesion policy more understandable, accessible, and relevant to people.
Among the landmark sites renovated with European funding – and an example of how the EU's cohesion policy is changing Bulgarian regions – is the railway station in Stara Zagora, which handles over 300,000 passengers a year. There are also examples from Pernik, where European funds were used to renovate the iconic Palace of Culture, and in Kyustendil, where the renovated urban space around the Theater and Velbazhd Square is bringing life back to the heart of the city.
Crucial support
Cohesion policy is the EU's main instrument for reducing economic disparities between European regions and is one of the most significant sources of European funding for member states. In Bulgaria, a huge part of the key investments in recent years – infrastructure, urban environment, regional development, employment and economic transformation – have been made through cohesion funds. In regions affected by the coal industry, this support is crucial because a just transition requires sustainable economic solutions, transparency, and genuine dialogue with local communities.
The COREJIO project is a natural extension of our mission – to make European policies understandable, accessible, and useful to people. We believe that cohesion policy should not remain hidden behind numbers and documents but should become stories of change – of new opportunities, modern jobs, and a better living environment. This is particularly important in regions such as ours, which are undergoing economic and social transition. The project allows us to use our many years of experience in communicating European policies and to encourage active public dialogue on the just transition in Stara Zagora and the country. As leading experts in regional development and policies, we see COREJIO as an opportunity to bring together knowledge, experience, and inspiration to show that change can be successful when people are informed, included, and engaged," commented Dr. Rumyana Grozeva, Executive Director of SZREDA.
Activities
COREJIO activities include a broad communication campaign, training and public events for experts and stakeholders, the creation of a digital platform for sharing resources, the preparation of an e-book of good practices from regions in transition, and the development of a media handbook for journalists and communication specialists. There are also plans to shoot six video stories that will show the real impact of European investments through human stories and successful examples from the field.
"This is the third project that Brand Media Bulgaria is implementing in coal-mining regions. The topic of economic transformation in Stara Zagora, Pernik, and Kyustendil is not just regional, but national and European. It has always been important to our editorial team because we believe that honest dialogue based on facts and quality information is key to a fair transition. COREJIO allows us to work in the field again, close to the people, and to show what is really happening with European funds and policies,"“, commented Georgi Zhelyazkov, editor-in-chief of the leading business website Economic.bg, published by Brand Media Bulgaria.
The project will reach over 150,000 people and support at least 50 experts through targeted training to reflect the contribution of cohesion policy. The aim is to increase awareness, understanding, and trust in the processes that determine the future of regions in transition.
"Our television station's participation in the project to promote the European Union's cohesion policy is important because it gives us the opportunity to contribute to better informing citizens in the region about the benefits of European solidarity and support. Through broadcasts and reports, we can show the real results of the implementation of European programs in local communities. This participation strengthens public trust in European institutions and reinforces our role as a responsible regional media outlet committed to the development of the region," adds Zhelyazko Dinev, Executive Director of TV Stara Zagora.
COREJIO is implemented with the support of the European Union and aims to be a model for open communication, transparency of processes, and sustainable dialogue in regions undergoing the most serious economic transformation in their modern history.
For contacts and further information:
Dobromira Yotovska, Project Manager, mailto:europedirect@szeda.eu