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Tuesday, 18 August 2020
The National Development Programme: Bulgaria 2020 was adopted in 2012.
The Government’s Programme for the Republic of Bulgaria for the period 2017-2021 was adopted in 2017.
The National Development Programme BULGARIA 2030 is expected to be adopted by the end of 2020 as the successor of the National Development Programme: Bulgaria 2020. The Vision, Goals and Priorities of the National Development Programme BULGARIA 2030 were approved by the Council of Ministers on 20 January 2020.
Following the approval of the Vision, Goals and Priorities of the National Development Programme BULGARIA 2030, the Government shall elaborate its intentions for each policy area and prepare an indicative financial framework, an ex-ante impact assessment and a mechanism to monitor and control the implementation of the strategic document.
The National Development Programme: Bulgaria 2020 is the leading strategic and programming document detailing the objectives of the development policies of the country until 2020. The vision, objectives and priorities of NDP BG2020 are defined on the basis of a socio-economic analysis drawn up for this purpose as well as on the submissions received as а result of the public discussions of each stage of the drafting of the document. The formulated objectives of the government policies will ensure the achievement of accelerated economic growth and raising the standard of living of the Bulgarian citizens in the medium and long term.
NDP BG2020 is a document for the national decisions for growth. It is in line with the commitments of Bulgaria at European and international level, while at the same time it embodies the aspiration of the state for selection of national road to progress. The document contains no direct reference to the SDGs, but it ensures the link between the national priorities of the Republic of Bulgaria and the EU goals in the context of the Europe 2020 strategy.
The principles and policies laid down in the Government’s Programme for the Republic of Bulgaria for the period 2017-2021 are in line with the 2030 Agenda, with a focus on good governance and guaranteeing the rights, security and well-being of citizens, tolerance, non-discrimination and non-disintegration.
The National Development Programme BULGARIA 2030 is a strategic framework document of the highest order in the hierarchy of the national programming documents, which determines the vision and the overall goals of development policies in all sectors of state governance, including their territorial dimensions. The document sets out three strategic goals which will be implemented by government policies, grouped into five development areas (axes) and puts forth 13 national priorities. In preparing the National Development Programme BULGARIA 2030 special attention has been paid to the 2030 United Nations (UN) Agenda for Sustainable Development “Transforming our World” and to the 17 Global Sustainable Development Goals included therein. The Agenda and the Goals are regarded as a framework for the national development policies, while the National Development Programme BULGARIA 2030 itself – as the Government's response for their implementation.
The Council of Ministers adopted the National Development Programme: Bulgaria 2020 and the Government’s Programme for the Republic of Bulgaria for the period 2017-2021. The Development Council at the Council of Ministers established for the purposes of strategic planning in the country is engaged with the development of the National Development Programme BULGARIA 2030. It coordinates unified positions on strategic issues related to the country's sustainable development – issues in the fields of economic and social relations, health, culture and sport, education and pensions, development of small and medium-sized enterprises, agriculture and food and other issues in their interconnectedness. A Coordination Committee for Management, Monitoring, Control, and Implementation Reporting of the National Development Programme: Bulgaria 2020 is set up at the Development Council and is chaired by the Minister of Finance. The Committee provides information on the implementation of sectoral strategy papers and monitors progress in the implementation of the priorities and horizontal policies of the strategic programmes. The Coordination Committee prepared the draft National Development Programme BULGARIA 2030. The sectoral ministries, within their competence, work on detailing the strategy. A well-established procedure for inter-agency discussion of the document is followed, and stakeholder consultation meetings are held. The Development Council shall propose a draft National Development Programme BULGARIA 2030 for adoption by the Council of Ministers by 31 December 2020.
National Development Programme: Bulgaria 2020
The Government’s Programme for the Republic of Bulgaria for the period 2017-2021 (in Bulgarian)
The Vision, Goals and Priorities of the National Development Programme BULGARIA 2030
Vision
In 2030, Bulgaria will be a country of high standards of living and a competitive, low-carbon economy. The country will be developing and implementing innovations in every sector of the economy, adapting to the transforming world through its highly educated, creative, supportive and healthy society. It will be a fertile ground for ideas and a magnet for investment and human capital. The unique cultural and natural resources of the Bulgarian regions will be used responsibly and sustainably. They will be integrated with each other and with the world through high-speed road and optical links, establishing the country’s position as a crossroads of ideas and goods in Europe and beyond. Bulgarian citizens will play an active role in the future of their country, have rich opportunities for personal and professional development and live in a just and tolerant society, in which their voice is heard.
In 2020, the Council of Ministers adopted the Integrated National Energy and Climate Plan until 2030 of the Republic of Bulgaria. Its main objectives are to stimulate low-carbon economic development; to provide competitive and secure energy; to reduce dependence on fuel and energy imports; to guarantee affordable energy for all consumers. The Integrated Plan sets specific objectives in the areas of energy efficiency, renewable energy and system interconnection.
There is no strategy specifically dedicated to the implementation of the Agenda 2030. However, the National Development Programme: Bulgaria 2020 is the leading strategic and programme document, which specifies the goals of policies for development until 2020. Multiple sectoral strategies in all policy areas are linked with SDG implementation (e.g. Environment, Transport, Education, Tourism, Social Inclusion). Тhe Government’s Programme of the Republic of Bulgaria for the period 2017-2021 includes priorities and measures in all policy areas.
The National Development Programme: Bulgaria 2020 offers an integrated and multilateral approach and encourages intersectoral cooperation.
Bulgaria attaches equal importance to the 17 SDGs and all of them are reflected in various government strategies.
In the Europe 2020 National Reform Programme of Bulgaria for 2020, the Ministry of Finance provides a progress review of the implementation of the National Targets under the Europe 2020 Strategy and progress towards the SDGs. The Ministry of Finance also reviews the links between funding, investment, priority axes and specific SDGs.
All ministries are responsible for the internal implementation of the 2030 Agenda. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is in charge of the external implementation. The goals and objectives of international development cooperation policies are specified in the Mid-term Programme for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid. The International Development Cooperation Council and a Development Policy Interinstitutional Working Group have been established to coordinate related activities.
Each Priority of the National Development Programme BULGARIA 2030 will be assigned to a certain ministry or agency. All priorities are directly linked to certain SDGs.
un@mfa.bg
National Statistical Institute: Monitorstat – Platform with SDG indicators
The mechanisms for Vertical Integration for the 2030 Agenda are laid out in the Strategy for Decentralisation 2016-2025
The National Association of the Municipalities in the Republic of Bulgaria assists in directing public financing to fulfill the SDGs, including through European funds. The National Association of the Municipalities is represented in a number of advisory councils to the Council of Ministers, including the Consultative Council on Promotion of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, the National Council for Persons with Disabilities, the National Council on Social Inclusion, the National Council for Child Protection, the National Council on Gender Equality, etc. which work toward achieving the principle of “leaving no one behind”.
National — sub-national linkages
Bulgaria is a unitary state. The main challenge is the unbalanced vertical distribution of functions and competences. The problem will be solved through transfer of power and functions from central to local authorities. This will be achieved through several priorities, envisaging: provision of new municipal services in the security sector and cooperation of municipalities for the provision of common services; enhancing the municipal competences in the field of municipal education and by converting delegated services into local ones; enhancing the powers of mayoralties and municipal service establishments.
The local level is not sufficiently aware of SDG implementation.
There is a need to enhance the “down-top” approach – enacting development policies on the basis of the concrete necessities and potential for development of the lower territorial levels.
EU linkages
The National Development Programme BULGARIA 2030 is based on a deliberate Analysis of the socio-economic development of the country after its accession to the European Union, aiming to identify the key problem areas and gaps in the country’s development policies, which has been discussed with the socio-economic partners within the Economic and Social Council and the National Council for Tripartite Cooperation.
The National Development Programme: Bulgaria 2020 ensures the link between the national priorities of the Republic of Bulgaria and the EU goals in the context of the Europe 2020 strategy.
Currently, there are no institutionalized mechanisms in place for horizontal policy integration regarding the implementation of the SDGs. However, the National Development Programme: Bulgaria 2030 will determine the vision and general goals of development policies in all sectors of government, including their territorial dimensions. The strategic document will take into consideration the SDGs and will provide for a whole-of-government approach by engaging all ministries in the implementation of the Programme.
More than 70 advisory and coordination councils function to coordinate activities between individual public institutions and other stakeholders.
Each priority in the National Development Programme: Bulgaria 2030 will be assigned a particular indicator framework, with indicators from various sources – the National Statistical Institute, Eurostat, the European Environment Agency, the World Bank, the UN, etc. Eurostat plays an important role in measuring progress on the SDGs. Since the end of 2019, the European Semester has integrated the SDGs in its monitoring framework The 2020 Country Report tracks Bulgaria’s progress on Agenda 2030 implementation.
The National Statistical Institute uses data from the UN Statistical Commission, as well as various DGs of the European Commission, Eurostat, the OECD, etc.
In December 2019, the National Statistical Institute launched Monitorstat – an information system that is centralized, web-based, with two main modules providing access to indicators and metadata from statistical surveys for national, European and international strategies. It includes multiple indicators from the Global framework for the SDGs and all SDG indicators of Eurostat.
There are currently no specific formal mechanisms for integrating stakeholders into the 2030 Agenda implementation process.
National strategies, plans and programmes are published on the Portal for public consultations before their adoption. Each strategic document in preparation has a certain policy area, target group, date of opening of consultations and deadline for consultations. The target group of most strategic documents is “all interested parties”.
In the process of the preparation of the VNR, multiple stakeholders have been actively consulted and their views were reflected.
Businesses, CSOs/NGOs, research and academia are aware of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs. They have launched numerous initiatives and projects directly linked to SDG implementation.
Multiple private companies conduct environmentally friendly policies and have united in various associations (Bulgarian Association of Corporate Social Responsibility Specialists, Institute for Sustainable Economic Development, UN Global Compact Network Bulgaria, Green Circle, etc.).
Many universities are introducing educational programmes and research projects related to sustainable development (Corporate Social Responsibility, Environmental Protection, Biomanagement & Sustainable Development, etc.). In 2017, the “Unity Initiative” of Bulgarian scientists presented for public consultation a document called “Views on national goals and priorities for sustainable development in Bulgaria”.
No information available.