Republic of BulgariaEconomic and Social Council

1000 Sofia, 22 “Kn. Maria Louisa” Blvd., e-mail:

office@esc.bg, www.esc.bg

ESC- characteristic

• The structure and functions of the Bulgarian Economic and Social Council are set up following the model and procedures of the European Economic and Social Committee

• National Council of Tripartite Co-operation still exists in Bulgaria.

Promoting the dialogue and co-operation with State Bodies

Parliament

President

Government

ESC

Organisations of employers

Organisations of employees

Civil society organisations

Public discussions

OpinionsAnalyses

EqualityPluralismPublicity

Actions to the Lisbon Strategy

• opinions• public discussions• seminars and workshops • deliver information to a range civil society organisations

and NGOs, aimed at increasing public awareness and their participation in the decision - making process

Activities - public discussions

• Agreement for collaboration between the ESC and the Council of European Integration at the Council of Ministers

• aimed at providing information on the decision making process of the Government on social and economic policy issues, fulfilling existing information gap by informing the civil society organisations on the EU accession process and the Lisbon Strategy

How to develop a civil dialogue in the EU accession

process - Seminar (March 2005)

Participants - the Vice Premier, Mr.Plamen Panajotov,Minster of Labour and Social policy Mrs.H. Hristova, the EESC Member-Mr. Henry Malosse, the ESC Members, representatives of NGOs of Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro

Discussion on the Government management program

November 2005

• Participants The Prime Minister, Mr.

Sergej Stanishev, the Speaker of the Parliament, Mr. Georgi Pirinski, Deputy Premiers and Government’s members, Presidency and the ESC Members.

Prime Minister, Mr. S. Stanishev President of ESC, L.Dulevski Speaker of the Parliament, Mr. G. Pirinski

public discussion

• Objective - forcing the Lisbon Strategy implementation (December 2005)

• Result –adopted opinion by the ESC Plenary Session on “The Lisbon Strategy of the EU and the policy of the Republic of Bulgaria for achieving competitive and prosperous economy”.

public discussion • on programming

documents - National Development Plan,National Operative Programs (February 2006)

• Participants – ESC Members, the Minister of Finance, Deputy Ministries, Experts of ministries and media

public discussion

Results

• involving socio-economic partners in programming and managing the European structural and cohesion funds.

• defying the responsibilities of the socio-economic partners in developing capacity for management and absorbing the European structural and cohesion funds

• outlining the priorities in the operative programs towards innovation, information based society, competitiveness and sustainable development, according to the Lisbon Strategy objectives

• defying a necessity to promote competitive export sectors based on innovation and IT

Activities – Opinions

Competitiveness

• The EU Lisbon Strategy and the policy of the Republic of Bulgaria for achieving competitive and prosperous economy (own initiative opinion)

(December 2005)• Challenges faced by the tourism development and European integration (July 2005) • Current issues of the textile industry and clothing in Bulgaria (own initiative opinion) (January 2005)

Development of the human capital quality

• Problems of the vocational education and training in Bulgaria (November 2005)• Demographic trends and the demography policy challenges (own initiative opinion) (March 2005)

The Lisbon Strategy of the EU and the policy of the Republic of Bulgaria for achieving competitive and

prosperous economy

Key recommendations to the Parliament, Government and President

• to launch a Lisbon National Reform Program for Growth and Competitiveness

• to improve synergy between the Strategy dimensions - economic, social and environment development

• to enhance competitiveness and growth jobs through innovation and R&D

• to promote export sectors• to develop flexible labour market • to promote education (link business and universities)

The problems of the vocational education and

training in Bulgaria Recommendations to the Parliament, Government and

President National Program for Human Capital Development • long-term National Strategy for developing

education • National Strategy for vocational education and

training (adapt education and training in response to labour market requirements)

• annual action education plans• monitoring on development of education and

training • forcing public debates