site.btaBulgaria's OECD Membership Will Strengthen Its Image - French Representative Pierre

Cyrille Pierre, France's permanent representative to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), spoke to Bulgarian journalists in Paris on Thursday at a meeting organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Bulgarian Embassy. The event was held in connection with Bulgaria's accession to the organisation.

Pierre said that the OECD is not a closed community, but rather a global organisation with significant influence that contributes to global stability, adding that Bulgaria's membership would further strengthen the country's international image. According to him, the OECD collects and disseminates the best practices and accumulated experience of its member states, employing highly qualified experts in various fields. The Paris-based organisation prepares key analyses, reports and statistical data for individual countries which serve as a reference base for public policies, including for G7 and G20 countries.

Pierre stated that France strongly supports Bulgaria's accession to the OECD, noting that the country is a member of the EU and will be a member of the eurozone as of January 1, 2026. He added that Bulgaria's membership, along with those of Croatia and Romania, would also benefit the European Union itself, as almost all EU Member States would then be represented in the OECD, with the exceptions of Cyprus (where issues with Turkiye and Greece have an impact) and Malta (which has a small economy). Pierre advised Bulgaria to clearly assert its identity, establish an effective coordination mechanism between ministries and formulate several national priorities for a period of five to ten years.

Bulgarian Ambassador to France Radka Balabanova said that the OECD is not a "club of the rich", but an organisation of countries that are ambitious to implement policies that will increase prosperity. She highlighted the difference between EU and OECD membership, noting that the EU provides access to financial resources, while the OECD helps improve the way those resources are used. Balabanova noted that, unlike EU directives, OECD instruments are not legally binding, but they provide guidelines and good practices, the implementation of which depends on the national framework. She described the OECD as a platform for sharing experience and policies.

Of a total of 25 thematic committees, Bulgaria has completed reviews in 17, announced OECD accession process coordinator Elizaveta Simeonova. On December 4, the review in the Competition Committee was completed, and the finalization of the review on tax policy is expected soon. Bulgaria aims to complete the technical part of the process by the end of 2025 or early 2026 at the latest, which will allow the OECD Council to take a political decision to extend an invitation for membership in 2026. This will be followed by a ratification procedure.

Simeonova emphasized that Bulgaria is in the final and most complex phase of the technical process, which requires reforms in sensitive areas. She stressed that the OECD has introduced a monitoring mechanism through peer reviews to ensure that acceding countries implement the organisation's policies and standards.

She added that membership in the OECD would strengthen Bulgaria's image among investors, contribute to an increase in its credit rating, and provide access to global standards in areas such as corporate governance, tax policy, sustainable investment, and social policies. At the same time, citizens will benefit from good practices in education, healthcare, the labour market and consumer policy.