Bulgaria Anti Corruption Institutional Framework

Corruption Perception Index
by Transparency International:
43/100 (2019)
Government Effectiveness (from -2,5 to +2,5),
World Governance Indicators by World Bank:
+0,26 (2017)
Control of Corruption (from -2,5 to +2,5),
World Governance Indicators by World Bank:
-0,16 (2017)
Index of Economic Freedom
by Heritage Foundation:
68.3/100 (2018)
Corruption (1=best, 7=worst),
Nations in Transit by Freedom House:
4.25 (2018)
Democracy Score (1=best, 7=worst),
Nations in Transit by Freedom House:
3.39 (2018)

Bulgaria has a broad framework of institutions specialized in fighting corruption. As part of the country’s efforts to curb corruption and enhance public confidence in public institutions in general and in the judiciary in particular the government established the State Agency for Public Security. It is the main specialized unit which investigates and prosecutes corruption-related crimes committed in the country involving senior public officials.

The competencies for investigating and prosecuting corruption are shared by the State Agency for National Security, the Internal Security Directorate within the Ministry of Interior and the Prosecutor’s Office. Low-level corruption is investigated by the ordinary police under the supervision of the Ministry of Interior.

Bulgaria established a specialized court to deal with crimes committed by organized criminal groups, including corruption related crimes. However, the country still does not have a dedicated court to deal specifically with corruption offences. The Center for Prevention and Countering Corruption and Organized Crime is an anti-corruption body assigned to support all institutions dealing with actions vulnerable to corruption in Bulgaria. It collects and registers information from all domains sensitive to corruption, evaluates the data and elaborates Weak Points of Corruption and Organized Crime using complex analyses. It has an analytic and a consultative function developing System Secure Solution Models on demand.

The main institution responsible for implementation and coordination of anti-corruption policies is the Commission on Prevention and Combating of Corruption. The Commission establishes the objectives of the state counter corruption policies and provides the decisions necessary to the struggle against corruption as well as the relations with foreign partners. As part of the implementation of the new anti-corruption strategy, the Bulgarian government is to establish a national council on anti-corruption policies, which will be an inter-institutional body with consultative, coordinating and control functions.