Europe already leads the world in offshore wind technology and production, but the offshore wind industry is set to expand considerably on the continent in the coming decade. Russia’s war in Ukraine has sent EU countries scrambling for alternative energy supplies, while the European Commission has continued to support the industry through a favourable policy and investment framework, as well as strategic innovation programs.

The present report is intended to support Bulgarian policymakers on their journey of adopting and implementing a regulatory framework for offshore wind energy roll-out, while bridging existing governance gaps in the national energy policy. The study represents a comparative analysis of the extensive regulatory experience of four EU offshore market leaders along with recent legislative developments in emerging markets with energy policy settings similar to the ones in Bulgaria.