Nine countries, from Bulgaria to Finland, could get up to 10% more EU funding in the next budget period because of the war in Ukraine. MEPs from a European Parliament delegation said this in Varna.

For Bulgaria, that would mean €2.2bn on top of the €22.3bn planned in the new multi-year budget, MEP Andrey Novakov said. He said a further €2bn increase is also possible to compensate sectors that have lost money because of the war. Novakov said he hopes the Bulgarian government will back the goal of 10% more.

Polish MEP Jacek Protas submitted the report on the new fund to protect the eastern borders. He said a united Europe as a whole must stand with the regions that suffer most from the war. Protas said the European Commission has announced a special strategy for regions bordering Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. It recognises them as an area of strategic intervention. The report proposes more public investment, more state aid for entrepreneurs and dual-use investment that would serve residents in peacetime and have defence value in war.

Last week the European Parliament voted for a resolution that asks for a Black Sea mission to protect merchant ships, along with extra money from the fund for protecting external borders. Novakov called the resolution a full package of measures. He said the Bulgarian government must accept it and EU institutions must back it.

The idea for the Varna visit came from Novakov and Bulgarian MEP Emil Radev. It followed drone attacks on merchant ships, after which the delegation went to assess the situation in the Black Sea region. The more frequent strikes are hurting Bulgaria's economy, Radev said. Insurance for merchant shipping has risen more than 5 times, and for tankers up to 12 times. If there are new attacks, insurance for ships in the Black Sea may stop altogether.

The MEPs visited the Naval School in Varna and learned about the building of a European Black Sea security centre. It will be based in Varna and Constanta. Radev and his colleagues will ask for more money to speed up the project.

German MEP Sven Simon said the visit sends a message of a united Europe and that Bulgaria is not alone. He said security in the Black Sea affects all of Europe, not just the region. Austrian MEP Angelika Winzig said Austrians do not know what is happening in countries close to Russia's war against Ukraine, so she joined the delegation to see the situation first-hand. She will pass on what she learned to EU institutions and member states.

EU countries are still negotiating the final shape of the 2028-2034 budget. They must agree by next summer at the latest. The budget takes effect on 1 January 2028.