30.05.2013

The assessment of Bulgaria in respect of the efforts made to strengthen the fiscal framework, the measures taken in the pension system and certain changes to the public procurement legal framework is positive. That became clear from the published on 29 May 2013 country specific recommendations of the European Commission for each Member State on what policy measures should be addressed in the next 12 months to return to growth and jobs.

According to EC Bulgaria should focus its efforts by priority on solving the problems with tax collection, high unemployment rates and labour market disproportions, improving the quality and effectiveness at all levels of the education system, ensuring effectiveness of expenditure for healthcare. The Commission experts recommend also to improve the business environment, especially in respect of the red tape and corruption, and to improve the access to finance for SMEs and start-ups. Yet again this year the weaknesses in the energy market functioning are pointed out in terms of regulations, supply diversification and energy efficiency.

The recommendations are issued within the strengthened economic policy coordination mechanism, the so-called ‘European semester\'. They are based on the EC assessment of the National Reform Programmes in pursuance of Europe 2020 Strategy, and the Stability and Convergence Programmes in pursuance of the strengthened Stability and Growth Pact, as well as in pursuance of the prevention part of the macroeconomic imbalances procedure. The recommendations are to be discussed within the framework of a peer review in the Council committees and thereafter to be approved by ECOFIN on 21 June 2013 and finally adopted by the European Council on 28 June 2013.