Bulgaria Reports Moderate Progress in Cutting Red Tape

Bulgaria's Council of Ministers has approved a report on the implementation of the Action Plan for Reducing Administrative Burden by 20% by end-2012.

The set of measures was agreed upon in end-April 2010 and the report spans the period from its introduction until March 2011.

The Action Plan envisages a total of 135 measures divided into categories according to the five-component model for alleviating red tape: inter-institutional information exchange (data collecting from other state bodies on behalf of the business sector); electronic/ online filing of information; removal of mandatory notifications; reduced use of terminology, use of simplified terminology and preparation of instructions; complex measures (including a combination of the abovementioned actions).

According to the plan, Bulgaria was supposed to fully or partially implement a total of 123 measures by end-March 2011. At present, 88 measures have been fully executed (66%), while 39 are being introduced (32%).

The Culture Ministry, the Foreign Ministry and the State Reserve and War-time Stocks State Agency are Bulgaria's top performers, having introduced 6, 4 and 3 measures, respectively.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Foods is responsible for the biggest number of measures with delayed implementation, a large part of them being measures with an extended implementation schedule due to the necessary legal amendments.

Due to the lack of funding, measures related to the electronic filing of data to the Interior Ministry and the National Grain and Feed Service may be postponed, according to the government's press office.

The most tangible reduction of excessive red tape, 17% out of the 20% end target, has been scheduled for a period after the execution of the measures by end-2011.