News

The Secretary General of the Bulgarian Industrial Capital Association (BICA), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Milena Angelova, has been appointed as the new Vice-President of the Economic and Social Council of the Republic of Bulgaria (ESC). She succeeds Evgeny Ivanov, CEO of the Confederation of Employers and Industrialists in Bulgaria (CEIB), who previously represented the employers’ group in the Council’s leadership.

The Economic and Social Council (ESC) has adopted its 2024 report, highlighting an increasing reliance by institutions on the Council’s expertise. Over the past year, the ESC developed 25 acts addressing diverse topics of critical importance to society. The Council’s recommendations span a wide array of areas, including the labor market, incomes, the pension system, agriculture, energy, the green and digital transition, artificial intelligence and more.

I hope that the dialogue that you maintain in the Economic and Social Council (ESC) will extend to the National Assembly. Your organisation exemplifies how people from various professional, trade union, employer, and civil society groups can communicate, listen, and reach agreements.
This was stated by the Speaker of the Parliament Natalia Kiselova, who greeted the participants in the last plenary session of the ESC.

The Economic and Social Council emphasises the urgent need to revise Bulgaria’s regionalisation at the level of classification of territorial units for statistical purposes. During the Plenary Session, the ESC also adopted an Analysis of the Current Pension System and Proposals for Its Improvement, developed at the suggestion of the President of the 49th National Assembly.

With the decision for full membership in the Schengen area coming into effect on 1 January 2025, Bulgaria opens a new chapter in its European development. This achievement is the result of years of dedicated efforts by Bulgarian institutions and civil society. As an institution that reflects the consensus of employers, trade unions, and civil society organisations, the ESC has persistently worked to keep the issues of Schengen and euro area accession at the forefront of public discourse.

The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) has adopted an opinion addressing the impact on the European single market of Bulgaria and Romania remaining outside the Schengen area. The opinion was approved during an EESC plenary session held on 4 December in Brussels. The rapporteur for the opinion is Maria Mincheva, Vice President of the Bulgarian Industrial Association (BIA).

Населението на Европа ще намалее с почти 7% до 2100 г., което ще намали и съотношението работещи/пенсионери. Демографската картина поставя предизвикателства пред системите за социална сигурност, здравеопазването и икономиката. Необходимите реформи, които държавите-членки трябва да направят и приносът на организираното гражданско общество в този процес бяха дискутирани на международна конференция на тема „Демография – миграция – пазари на труда“, организирана от Икономическия и социален съвет на Гърция, в която председателят на ИСС взе участие.

На 3 декември отбелязваме Международния ден на хората с увреждания. Обявен е от Генералната асамблея на ООН през 1992 г., за да мотивира политиците и институциите да създадат условия за равен достъп до архитектурната среда, образователната система, пазара на труда и информацията. ИСС призовава не само в този ден, но и във всеки друг, да търсим устойчиви решения за подобряване на живота на хората с увреждания, да обръщаме внимание на правата и възможностите им и да подчертаваме тяхната значима роля в обществото.