Burgas, Bulgaria – 11 November 2025
The final conference of the
Interreg VI-B NEXT Black Sea Basin Step2CleanPlan project was successfully held on
11 November 2025 in Burgas, Bulgaria, marking the completion of a highly impactful cross-border cooperation among partners from
Türkiye, Greece, and Bulgaria.
Hosted by the
District Government of Burgas, organized in partnership of the Project partners from three countries, the event brought together representatives of local and regional authorities, experts, and stakeholders to present the project’s key results and to strengthen long-term cooperation on climate change mitigation and adaptation.
During the conference, partners presented the main achievements of the project, including studies, analyses, and local climate action plans developed in the areas of:
- Sustainable urban mobility
- Energy efficiency
- Sustainable waste management
- Climate change mitigation and adaptation planning
These results reflect the joint efforts of all project partners to enhance the capacity of local and regional authorities to integrate climate change considerations into strategic planning and policy implementation.
A key highlight of the conference was the signing of a
Memorandum of Cooperation on climate change adaptation, formalising long-term collaboration among local and regional authorities and project partners. The Memorandum represents an important step toward sustained joint action and the continuation of cooperation beyond the project lifetime.
The Memorandum of Cooperation on climate change adaptation was signed by the following entities:
- Municipality of Uzunköprü (Türkiye)
- ANATOLIKI S.A., Organization for Local Development (Greece)
- Municipality of Kalamaria (Greece)
- Burgas Regional Administration- District Government of Burgas (Bulgaria)
- Association Bionet (Bulgaria)
- Municipality of Byala (Bulgaria)
The signing of this Memorandum is the result of a series of joint activities, capacity-building actions, mentoring programmes, seminars, and study visits implemented throughout the project. These collaborative efforts have contributed significantly to advancing local and regional approaches to cleaner energy, sustainable mobility, waste management, and climate adaptation.
The Step2CleanPlan project is funded by the
European Union under the Interreg NEXT Black Sea Basin Programme 2021–2027, with a total budget of
€504,504.00 and a project duration of
18 months.
The project partnership includes:
- Municipality of Uzunköprü, Türkiye
- ANATOLIKI S.A., Organization for Local Development, Greece
- District Government of Burgas, Bulgaria
- Association Bionetwork (BIONET), Bulgaria
Through joint analyses, mentoring programmes, stakeholder engagement, and pilot actions, the project has strengthened the capacity of local and regional authorities to design and implement effective climate policies and sustainable development strategies.
All partners expressed their strong commitment to continuing cooperation beyond the project and to building on the results achieved under Step2CleanPlan. The partners are confident that the project has created a solid foundation for future joint initiatives focused on:
- Cleaner energy solutions
- Climate change mitigation and adaptation
- Sustainable urban development
- Cross-border exchange of good practices
The Step2CleanPlan project demonstrates the added value of cross-border cooperation in addressing shared environmental and climate challenges in the Black Sea Basin region.
