Deputy Minister Ivanka Tasheva Participates in the Informal Meeting of the EU General Affairs Council
04 September 2026 News
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivanka Tasheva represented Bulgaria at the informal meeting of the General Affairs Council, held in Dublin on 3 and 4 September 2026. Ireland holds the rotating Presidency of the Council of the EU in the second half of 2026 and hosted the meeting.
The Ministers for European Affairs reviewed progress in the negotiations on the EU’s next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for the 2028–2034 period, focusing on reaching consensus on the overall size of the budget and the balance of priorities on the expenditure side. A separate session was held with the Chair and co-rapporteurs of the European Parliament’s Committee on Budgets, focusing on the competitiveness and security dimensions of the new MFF. Bulgaria stated that an optimal balance should be achieved between funding established policies, such as Cohesion Policy and the Common Agricultural Policy, which remain essential, and directing additional resources towards areas in which the EU faces new or growing common challenges.
The EU Member States held a discussion on the Union’s enlargement policy, with representatives of candidate countries and potential candidates also taking part. The discussion focused on the need for more effective and targeted support for the adoption and implementation of the reforms necessary to make progress in the EU accession process. Bulgaria reaffirmed its consistent support for the European perspective of the countries involved in the enlargement process, based on their own merits. With regard to opportunities to improve the effectiveness of reforms in the candidate countries, priority should be given to the key areas of the rule of law, the judiciary, the fight against corruption and cooperation with civil society organisations.
The European Ministers held a separate discussion on the preparation of safeguard clauses and mechanisms in future EU accession treaties. Bulgaria’s priority in this regard is for the discussions to follow an approach consistent with the EU Treaties. The mechanisms should be proportionate, should not replace the requirements and conditions of the negotiating process, and should follow an individual approach tailored to the specific circumstances of each candidate country.
On the sidelines of the meeting, Deputy Minister Ivanka Tasheva held bilateral talks with Ireland’s Minister of State for European Affairs and Defence, Thomas Byrne, focusing on the negotiations on the EU’s new Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for the 2028–2034 period. She also held talks with the heads of delegation of France, Germany, Sweden and Finland on issues on the bilateral and European agenda.
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