The main functions and lines of activity of the State Aid and Real Sector Directorate are fully subordinated to and aimed at fulfilling the main objective of the government policy to enable development of the country and accelerated economic growth. The Directorate supports the Minister of Finance in the exercise of his powers as a national authority responsible for the monitoring, transparency, assessment and coordination of state aid and de minimis aid at national, district and municipal level, and acts as contact point with the European Commission in all matters related to state aid.

The Directorate mainly works towards achieving effective management of financial resources during the implementation of public support measures in accordance with the state aid rules and regime.

The Directorate performs functions in relation to our country’s obligations under the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union with regard to state aid; performs monitoring, coordination and interaction with the European Commission in the area of state aid; adopts, examines and assesses state aid notifications for their compliance with state aid legislation and proposes appropriate measures to make them compliant; prepares a notification of a draft regional state aid map and its amendments to the European Commission; performs functions delegated by the European Commission for the assessment of block exempted aid; coordinates and assists aid administrators in the exercise of their rights and obligations arising from European Union law and Bulgarian state aid legislation, and gives methodological guidance on the application of national legislation and state aid rules as well as of the control carried out by national authorities; prepares opinions on compliance with European Union state aid legislation in cases of the provision of public funds under Article 21(2) of the Public Finance Law, as well as on drafts of bills and other acts related to the regulation of relations in the area of state aid; provides opinions on the performance of publicly funded services and coordinates projects and measures relating to the provision of compensation for the operation of services of general economic interest having the nature of state and de minimis aid; coordinates for compliance with the state aid regime the proposals for support and public intervention in the real and financial sectors in the form of financial instruments, export credit insurance and liquidity improvement measures; coordinates the implementation of sectoral policies, strategies, programmes, measures and projects and assesses the compliance of public intervention measures and schemes with state aid legislation.

The Directorate also performs other lines of activity: it organizes the execution of the powers and functions of the Minister of Finance in his capacity of a body exercising the rights of the state in trade companies with state participation in the capital, participates in the budgeting process, etc.;