The National Bank of Bulgaria, together with Deutsche Bundesbank, the European Commission, other European System of Central Banks national central banks and the European Central Bank, has officially launched the third phase of an EU-funded programme for central banks and supervisory authorities in Western Balkans EU candidate and potential candidate countries. Beneficiaries are Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, the Republic of North Macedonia, Serbia and the Republic of Kosovo. The three-year programme is financed through the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA III) and aims to strengthen institutional capacity by improving policy tools and supporting the adoption of international and European standards in national practice. Activities include regional training on anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT), cyber risks, database use and management, digital transformation, innovation and artificial intelligence, alongside targeted bilateral activities for beneficiary institutions.
National Bank of Bulgaria 2026-02-26
National Bank of Bulgaria and partners launch third phase of EU-funded programme to support Western Balkans central banks and supervisors
The National Bank of Bulgaria, Deutsche Bundesbank, the European Commission, and other European central banks have launched the third phase of an EU-funded programme for Western Balkans EU candidate countries. This three-year programme, financed by IPA III, aims to enhance institutional capacity by improving policy tools and supporting international and European standards adoption. Activities include regional training on AML/CFT, cyber risks, database management, digital transformation, and AI, along with targeted bilateral initiatives.