site.btaSeven Apply for Position of European Public Prosecutor from Bulgaria

Seven candidates have submitted applications to take part in a procedure for selecting a new European Public Prosecutor from Bulgaria, the Justice Ministry said on Tuesday. The candidates are Mihaela Raydovska, Dimitar Belichev, Svetlana Shopova-Koleva, Plamen Petkov, Ivaylo Iliev, Desislava Pironeva, and Boyko Atanasov.

Applications were submitted from November 24 to December 12 to the Justice Ministry.

The selection procedure is conducted in two stages: an eligibility review and a public hearing. On December 18, a meeting of the special selection committee, appointed by order of Justice Minister Georgi Georgiev, will be held to rule on the eligibility of the candidates.

The admitted candidates will be invited to a public hearing before a seven-member commission chaired by Deputy Justice Minister Stoyan Lazarov. At the final stage, the commission will shortlist three candidates. Through a report by the Justice Minister, the nominations are submitted for approval by the Council of Ministers, after which they are forwarded to the competent EU bodies for further selection.

European Public Prosecutors are appointed by the Council of the EU for a six-year term, with the new mandate expected to begin at the end of July 2026.