site.btaJustice Minister Discusses Recovery Plan Reforms with EC Delegation

Justice Minister Nikolay Naydenov met with a delegation of the European Commission led by Declan Costello to discuss progress on justice-sector milestones under Bulgaria's National Recovery and Resilience Plan linked to the fourth and fifth payment requests, the Justice Ministry said Thursday.

During the meeting, European Commission representatives welcomed the adoption of the new Act on Counteracting Corruption among Persons Holding Public Office and progress on judicial reform legislation.

Naydenov said the Justice Ministry remained fully committed to implementing the remaining reforms within the agreed deadlines. He noted that Parliament had adopted the anti-corruption law the previous week and said its promulgation in the State Gazette was expected on Friday.

The Minister also said measures aimed at improving the effectiveness of criminal proceedings and strengthening accountability of the Prosecutor General had been adopted as part of the anti-corruption legislation.

As a next step, Naydenov identified the completion of the regulatory framework for lobbying activities. He said work was underway on an ordinance regulating registration, deregistration, and certification in the Transparency Register, which is due to be issued by June 30, 2026. 

The meeting also covered other measures related to judicial reform, anti-corruption efforts, transparency in public administration, and strengthening the rule of law.

Naydenov said the Justice Ministry would continue working closely with Parliament to ensure the timely implementation of commitments in the justice sector under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan.