What lies ahead for Bulgaria on the road to the OECD

Bulgaria should complete the process of accession to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and become a full member "in due course". Experience shows that this process usually takes about three years for EU member states similar to Bulgaria.

This is the goal that Bulgaria has set for itself," the new foreign minister and former EU commissioner Maria Gabriel said in response to a parliamentary question.

We recall that at the end of last year – two months before the deadline – the working group headed by Atanas Pekanov in the caretaker cabinet drafted and sent a first version of a memorandum with the OECD.

Now Gabriel points out that on the basis of this, the numerous OECD committees have sent questionnaires to Bulgaria and "despite the limited human resources in many parts of the administration", the Bulgarian institutions have provided the detailed information requested.

The next stage in the technical review process is the on-site visits by OECD experts to gather additional information. By the end of June, four such missions had been carried out in the areas of statistics, environmental policy, competition and state-owned enterprises. Two more missions are planned for September, focusing on trade and regional development.

As a result of the meetings, the committees make recommendations for policy improvements where necessary, mainly through legislative changes. These have now been identified. As a rule, Bulgaria can express reservations on certain proposals, but this will hinder the accession process", the foreign minister said.

She also called for faster consideration of draft laws related to the implementation of OECD instruments. For example, one of these has already been submitted to Parliament by Finance Minister Assen Vassilev and concerns the procedure for awarding public contracts.

Maria Gabriel also noted that at the OECD annual meeting in early June, which focused on the OECD programme for Ukraine, Bulgaria's willingness to make a financial contribution was expressed. It remains unclear how much this would be.

For Bulgaria to join the OECD, all 25 committees of the organisation must give a positive opinion on the conformity of Bulgarian legislation, policies and practices.

The issue has been a priority for recent governments and business alike.

Bulgaria formally declared its desire to join the OECD in 2007 and has consistently reaffirmed its intention over the years.