Others

Ombudsman

Established: 2004

Competencies: promotes and protects human rights and fundamental freedoms. The Ombudsman advocates with the means provided by the law, when by action or inaction the rights and freedoms of the citizens are affected or violated by the state and municipal bodies and their administrations, by the persons, who are assigned to provide public services, as well as from private entities.

Structure: Ombudsman and Deputy Ombudsman. The administration is headed by a Secretary General. The Ombudsman is elected by the Parliament on proposal made by the MPs, parliamentary groups or non-profit organizations, working in the public interest.

Financial autonomy: Financed from the state budget and/or from other public sources.

National Audit Office

Web: https://www.bulnao.government.bg/en

Email: president@bulnao.government.bg

Established: 1995

Competencies: The National Audit Office exercises control over the implementation of the budget and other public resources and activities in accordance with the NAO Act and the internationally adopted auditing standards. The main task of the NAO is to control the reliability and authenticity of the financial statements of budget organizations and the lawful, effective, efficient and economical management of public resources and activities, as well as to provide the National Assembly with reliable and objective information thereof.

Structure: headed by President, two vice presidents and two members, elected by the Parliament. The National Audit Office is independent in carrying out its activities and reports to the Parliament

National Institute of Justice

Web: http://www.nij.bg

Email: nij@nij.bg

Established: 2004

Competencies: Mandatory initial training of candidates for junior judges, junior prosecutors, and junior investigators; mandatory induction training of judges, prosecutors and investigators upon first appointment and when court assessors are elected for their first term of office; upgrading the qualification of magistrates, members of the Supreme Judicial Council, the Inspector General and inspectors of the Inspectorate with the Supreme Judicial Council, public enforcement agents, judicial assistants, prosecutorial assistants, judicial officers, court assessors, inspectors at the Inspectorate with the Minister of Justice and of other employees of the Ministry of Justice; legal research and analysis; e-learning activities.

Structure: Director, Management Board, composed of five representatives of the Supreme Judicial Council and two representatives of the Ministry of Justice. The Chairperson of the Supreme Court of Cassation is the president of the Managing board.

Public Procurement Agency

Web: https://www2.aop.bg/en/home/

Email: aop@aop.bg

Established: 2004

Competencies: assists the Minister of Finance in the implementation of the state policy in the field of public procurements; the Agency’s functions relate mainly to: legislation drafting; methodological support and good practices dissemination; external ex-ante control of public procurement; development of strategic and operational documents in the field of public procurement; coordination of the process of preparing and publishing standard documents/requirements; maintenance and management of the centralized e-procurement system (CAIS EPP); monitoring of public procurement; cooperation with other bodies both at national and EU level (including provision of information and statistical reports to the European Commission), etc.

Structure: Headed and represented by Executive Director; administratively managed by Secretary General; organised within four directorates: “Legislation and Methodology”, “Control of Public Procurement” and “E-procurement and Monitoring” (specialized administration), as well as “Finances, Human Resources and Administrative Activities” (general administration).