site.btaJustice Minister Tells Foreign Ambassadors Government Works to Enhance Legal Security

Justice Minister Georgi Georgiev told foreign ambassadors in Sofia on Thursday that the government is working for “a legislative reform for predictability and legal security” and seeking to update regulations to address the shortage of labour. He said good communication between the government and the business community is essential, the Justice Ministry reported.

Georgiev was speaking at a meeting organized by the Bulgarian Business Leaders Forum (BBLF). The main theme of the 9th Annual BBLF Meeting with Foreign Ambassadors was Bulgaria’s successful economic and social development.

As usual, the meeting was held under the Foreign Ministry’s auspices in partnership with a prominent member of the diplomatic corps. In this case, it was the new UK Ambassador, Nathaniel Copsey. The event was attended by representatives of more than 30 foreign diplomatic missions in Bulgaria and senior executives of dozens of leading companies.

Justice Minister Georgiev spoke about the new government’s progress over the last five months in leading Bulgaria to meet the criteria for accession to the euro area and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

He said the adoption of the Whistleblower Protection Act was an important step forward in the effort to prevent corruption in the private as well as the public sector. “We are working to unburden the courts and to speed up the court process,” Georgiev said, adding that the National Assembly is expected on Friday to pass amendments introducing a compulsory information and assessment meeting for a mediation procedure in certain civil and commercial cases. This will raise the effectiveness of the administration of justice in civil and commercial cases, he argued.

The Justice Minister went on to say that the National Assembly is expected to pass regulatory changes concerning digitization, aimed to require institutions to communicate with the courts only via electronic channels, and to introduce stricter rules for the functioning of arbitration courts. The Justice Ministry is drafting a lobbyism bill, Georgiev added. He stressed that legislative proposals have been drawn up against money laundering.

The foreign diplomats hailed the government’s progress in taking Bulgaria closer to euro area membership and expressed support for the nation’s future entry to the OECD. They said they are convinced that the legislative reforms will help ensure legal security and will create a more secure environment for investments.