Detailed Information :

Bulgaria

Year of Establishment: 2006

Project Phase: Completed

Participants:

• Global Compact Network in Bulgaria
• United Nations Development Program in Bulgaria
• Confederation of Employers and Industrialists in Bulgaria
• Bulgarian Business Leaders Forum
• Bulgarian Industrial Association
• Transparency International Bulgaria
• Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
• NGOs

Scope: Advocating for a legislative change that restrains the size of cash payments above 10,000 BGN (EUR 5,000) in the country.

Key Facts:

Description

• The Global Compact Bulgaria Network, local and multinational companies, civil society, and business organization established an advocacy coalition in April 2006
• The objective of the coalition was to pursuade the parliment to restrain the size of cash payments above EUR 5,000
• In addition to a series of consultation meetings and forums, the coalition carried out an analysis of current Bulgarian legislation and comparative research of European practices on cash payments.

Objective

• Through legislative changes, the coalition fosters a societal and legal environments that discourages corrupt business practices.

Key Learning:

• Bringing together all relevant stakeholders through a series of consultation meetings and forums is crucial to build a broad-based coalition which can advocate successfully for legislative changes
• Carrying out a thorough analysis of the country’s legislation and conducting a detailed comparative study of other EU countries are imperative to develop comprehensive legal proposals
• Working with/lobbying the legislative body is instrumental in the fight against corruption and can lead to effective results.

Mechanisms:

• Cost: UNDP in Bulgaria financially supports the Bulgarian Global Compact Network activities
• Role of GC Local Network: It hosts Bulgarian businesses, NGOs, civil society and business associations to discuss and identify challenging issues that need to be addressed to curb corruption in the country and facilitates building a broad-based coalition which attracts various stakeholders in the country

Benefits:

• Bulgarian government: This coalition assists the Government in making necessary legislative changes that meet European Union standards; Bulgaria joined the European Union in 2007
• GC Bulgaria Local Network: The initiative has raised the profile of the Global Compact with the Bulgarian business and legal communities as it received broad based support by members and other stakeholders (NGOs consultative groups, government agencies – for example the Agencies for Financial Investigations, the National Agency on incomes, MPs etc.).
• Bulgarian Businesses: Reducing corrupt measures to ensure fair competition in the market.

Link:

• United Nations Global Compact Local Network in Bulgaria
• Collective Business Actions Against Corruption- Bulgaria

Source: Global Compact Bulgaria