The number of the current 6 planning regions in Bulgaria will not be reduced. The planning regions are the main territorial units which will be used during the absorption of the EU funds during the next programming period 2021-2027. Following negotiations with Eurostat, the Bulgarian Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works announced that the current territorial scope of the planning regions will be kept. Three options for changes were developed, because the population in Bulgaria’s Northwest and Central North regions fell below 800,000 people. The three north planning regions in Bulgaria are among the least developed in the EU. Therefore, they need sectoral policies and European financing which would help the local municipalities revive these regions.