The NAMRB 35th General Assembly Meeting convened by the Management Board of the organization on 7 June 2022

At the NAMRB Management Board (MB) meeting on 27 April, a decision has been adopted to convene the 35^th General Assembly on 7 June 2022 in Sofia Millennium Hotel, at 10.30 am under the following agenda:  

1. The NAMRB MB 2021 Activity Report – presented by Daniel Panov – NAMRB MB Chair and Mayor of Veliko Tarnovo Municipality;
2. The NAMRB 2021 Supervisory Board (SB) Activity Report  - presented by Dencho Boyadzhiev, NAMRB SB Board Chair, Mayor of Razgrad Municipality;
3. Report on the activity of the NSORB Central Bank in 2021 - doc. Dencho Boyadzhiev – Chairman of the Council of Nsw, Mayor of Razgrad Municipality; Supplementing the composition of the NAMRB MB – presented by the Chair of the Selection Committee;
4. The NAMRB 2022 Activity Program – presented by Donka Mihaylova – NAAMRB MB Deputy Chair, Mayor of Troyan Municipality;
5. The NAMRB 2021 Budget implementation Report and 2022 Draft Budget – reported by Silvia Georgieva, the NAMRB Executive Director;
6. Miscellaneous.

Board adopted the 2021 Activity Report, which, according to the Statute, will be submitted for consideration and adoption by the 35^th General Assembly Meeting. Report covers the functions of the MB in accordance with Article 20 of the Statute of the Association and sets out in detail the activities implemented pursuant to Art. 20, item 2. The implementation analysis took into account the specifics of 2021:

- Dynamic political environment: three elections for the National Assembly, the election of the President of the Republic of Bulgaria, work with two regular and two official governments, as well as four compositions of the National Assembly members;

- Lack of opportunity for the implementation of initiatives aimed at developing the legal framework of local self-government;

- An ongoing pandemic situation.

The main analytical and information part of the Report contains a detailed statement on the implementation of the NAMRB tasks, set out in the 2021 Program adopted by the General Assembly, highlights major changes in the regulatory framework under sectoral policies adopted on a proposal or with the NAMRB support, the activities for coordinating municipal positions for the implementation of European policies for the 2014-2020 programing period and planning of the programing period 2021-2027 are set out in detail, the activities of the NAMRB representatives in different advisory formats and the development of partnerships with the institutions are presented, the NAMRB role in strengthening the expertise of employees in municipalities and municipal structures; comprehensive information is presented about the initiatives implemented in the NAMRB international activity, communication policy and Associations‘ institutional development.

The report also identifies some challenges to the NAMRB work for the period 2022-2023.

According to the NAMRB Statute, the MB Activity Report shall be adopted by the General Assembly, after which it will be published on the NAMRB website. On 19 April at its meeting, the NAMRB Supervisory Board (SB) adopted its 2021 Activity Report, which will also be submitted for approval by the General Assembly Meeting. The NAMRB's highest forum will adopt the NAMRB 2021 Budget implementation Report, the 2022 Draft Budget, establish the size of the membership fee for 2023 and approve the 2022 NAMRB's Activity Program.

The composition of the MB must be completed at the upcoming meeting of the General Assembly. This is necessary in connection with the changes that have occurred in the presidency of the Sofia Municipal Council (SMC) – after the withdrawal of a member - Elen Gerdzhikov in autumn 2021.

According Art. 12, para. 2 of the NAMRB Statute, in the NAMRB General Assembly each municipality is represented by two delegates – the mayor of the municipality and a representative of the Municipal council. Representative of the Municipal council shall be appointed by decision of the respective council. NAMRB has received a proposal for the election of the current Chairman of SMC Georgi Georgiev as a member of the NAMRB MB, which General Assembly members should vote.

NAMRB General Assembly Meeting will be followed by a discussion forum with representatives of the central government on "The future of Europe and Bulgaria through the prism of crises". The Forum is also expected to be attended by the European Commission Vice-President and Commissioner for Democracy and Demography Dubravka Shuitsa – former mayor of the Croatian city of Dubrovnik.

On 8 June, the NAMRB will host the First Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Central European initiative countries (CEI) on subject: "Local and regional CEI authorities in post-crisis Europe: prospects for a more sustainable and resilient future". The forum will be held within the framework of the Bulgarian Presidency of the Central European Initiative for the 2022. Representatives of local authorities from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy, the Republic of North Macedonia, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Serbia, Ukraine, Hungary, Croatia, Montenegro, the Czech Republic are invited to participate. The CEMR and CEI Secretaries General, the NALAS Executive Director and Representatives of Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Environment and Water will take part in the Congress, as well.