Bulgaria - Ubbsla

UNION OF BULGARIAN BLACK SEA LOCAL AUTHORITIES (UBBSLA) is an independent non-governmental, voluntary, self-governing and non-profit organization established as a juridical person in 1992. The Association unites 21 municipalities bordering the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast, located in three administrative regions – Burgas, Varna and Dobrich. UBBSLA co-ordinates the activities of its member in the sphere of local government, energy efficiency, tourism, culture, education and youth topics, environmental and sustainable development. The Association organizes the efforts of its member-municipalities in solving common problems in the Black Sea region. UBBSLA has significant experience in working, training and involving local communities incl. municipal administration, young people, such as NEETs, students, teachers, experts, etc. in the framework of European projects and other initiatives of the Association. UBBSLA has established very strong communication and partnerships with institutions and organizations responsible for the local government, local and regional development, environment protection, tourism development, social and youth initiatives, education and social security of the Black Sea municipalities.
The administrative office of UBBSLA is located in Varna region, which is the third region in terms of population in Bulgaria. According to the last census (2020), the population of Varna region is 470,124 people and constitutes 6.6% of the total population in the country. There are 159 settlements in the Varna region, of which 11 are towns and 148 are villages. 363,355 people, or 84.1%, live in the cities, and 68,843, or 15.9% of the district's population, live in the villages. The negative trends in the change in the age structure of the population, valid for the country, also apply to the Varna region. They are characterized by an increase both in the absolute number and in the relative share of the population aged 65 and over. There are 92,533 persons aged 65 and over, or 21.4% of the district's population. The aging process is more pronounced among women than among men. The relative share of women over the age of 65 is 24.8%, and of men - 17.7%. This difference is due to the higher death rate among men and, as a consequence, their lower average life expectancy. The population in the age group 15 - 64 years is 275,693 people, or 63.8%. The trend of aging of the population also leads to changes in its basic age structure - below, in and above working age. The population of working age in the Varna region is 259,955 people, or 60.1% of the population in the region, with 134,493 men and 125,462 women. The coefficient of economic activity of the population is 71.7% compared to the national average of 73.2%. In 2019, there were about 156,000 employed persons in the district, unemployment – 3% (with an average of 4.3% for the country), and the average monthly salary – 603 EUR (above the national average – 600 EUR). The maritime industry, including tourism, are industries characteristic of Varna. Мechanical engineering, electronic and electrotechnical industry, light industry, agriculture are represented on the territory of the district. Varna is a leading municipality in Bulgaria in creating conditions for the development of volunteerism. In 2015, the Municipality of Varna launched the Youth Volunteer Service, an annual campaign to recruit young people between the ages of 16 and 29 for volunteer work in local non-governmental organizations and institutions in the following areas – ecology, art, culture, preservation of historical heritage, sports and tourism, media service, social activities, etc.