site.btaForeign Minister: Bulgaria Has Completed OECD Reviews in 18 of 25 Working Bodies

Bulgaria has completed accession reviews in 18 of the 25 working bodies of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova said in a written reply to a question from Democratic Bulgaria MP Stela Nikolova regarding the country's preparedness for OECD membership. The reply was published on the National Assembly's website.

According to Petrova, the number of completed accession reviews is expected to reach 19 very soon following the conclusion of an ongoing internal written procedure in another OECD committee.

To successfully complete the current technical phase of the accession process, Bulgaria still needs to finalize reviews in several areas that require legislative action to implement key OECD recommendations, Petrova explained.

Among the recommendations are measures to ensure more transparent and effective governance and oversight of state-owned enterprises; the introduction of a deposit-return system for beverage packaging waste; and steps to guarantee the independence and effectiveness of key national anti-corruption institutions, as well as to strengthen the rules governing the financing of political election campaigns.

Petrova stressed that the National Assembly has a key role to play in ensuring the successful completion of Bulgaria's OECD accession process in 2026.

"The receipt of positive assessments in the remaining review areas depends to a decisive extent on the timely adoption of legislative amendments implementing the recommendations addressed to Bulgaria," she said.

This would make it possible to complete the reviews in all remaining OECD committees during 2026, the Foreign Minister added.

The OECD was established in 1961 to promote policies aimed at sustainable economic growth, higher living standards and financial stability. It succeeded the Organisation for European Economic Co-operation, which had been created to administer American and Canadian financial assistance under the Marshall Plan for Europe's post-World War II reconstruction.