Ten young journalists are participating in a training organized by the Bulgarian Telegraph Agency (BTA) in partnership with the European Parliament (EP), which began Monday in the MaxiM Hall at BTA. The program will run until October 29.
The event opened with introductory remarks from BTA Director General Kiril Valchev and the Head of the European Parliament Office, Teodor Stoychev, who welcomed the ten selected participants.
The first session featured guest lecturer Prof. Ingrid Shikova, a faculty member and one of the founders of the European Studies Department at Sofia University. She explained the decision-making process within the EU’s “legislative triangle” between the European Commission, the European Parliament, and the European Council, outlining the main competencies of these institutions and the types of European legal acts. Prof. Shikova also noted that this year marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Jacques Delors, President of the European Commission from 1985 to 1995, recalling his statement that high-quality journalistic analysis “will never be forgotten.”
The program continued with a lecture by political scientist and New Bulgarian University professor Ivan Nachev, who emphasized the fundamental values and principles of the European Union. Among the core principles of EU democracies, he highlighted consensus and compromise between different policy approaches at the European and regional levels, as enshrined in EU primary legislation. He identified major challenges for the political union, including poor communication and insufficient respect for European values. He also noted that Bulgaria’s clear stance within EU institutions is threatened by a lack of vision and in-depth foreign policy thinking. He outlined the European Parliament’s oversight functions and the EU budgetary process, urging young journalists not to differentiate between Brussels and Sofia, and to hold Bulgarian representatives in the EU accountable for the policies they pursue.
The final lecture of the first day was delivered by BTA journalists Iva Toncheva from the Social Media Directorate and Spas Stambolski from the Economy Directorate. They introduced participants to the specifics of reporting on the information campaign for Bulgaria’s introduction of the euro. Toncheva and Stambolski advised young journalists to consult institutional press centers more frequently when preparing stories about the EU. Iva Toncheva also presented a new initiative by BTA’s Social Media Directorate aimed at explaining European legislation in a more accessible language.
The young journalists also met with Bulgarian MEP Ivaylo Valchev (European Conservatives and Reformists / There Is Such a People). He presented his work as a shadow rapporteur on the protection of minors online. Valchev also discussed the proposed European Media Freedom Act, which he argued could impose certain constraints on journalists by precisely defining their powers, protections, and ethical rules. While he believes that Europe is increasingly regulated, he stressed that the Act will have a “Bulgarian version,” as it will undergo public consultation in Bulgaria and be shaped by the journalistic community. Valchev also spoke about his work on the joint EU–North Macedonia committee, highlighting the challenges and pitfalls in promoting Bulgaria’s position in the European Parliament. He showed the young journalists lists of parliamentary votes by his group on specific topics and discussed issues that sometimes create disagreements when forming common positions. BTA Launches EU Journalism Training Program for Emerging Reporters THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2025-10-27 21:12:00 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law
