The Republic of Bulgaria

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Participation in the work of the Council of Europe remains one of the priorities of the Bulgarian Government’s foreign policy amid the changed institutional architecture of the European continent, even after the country's accession to both NATO and the EU.

The Council of Europe (CE) was established on May 5th 1949, as an intergovernmental organisation with a seat in Strasbourg (France).

The goals which CE has set itself are: protection of human rights, pluralist democracy and rule of law; strengthening the democratic stability of Europe through political, legislative and constitutional reforms; promoting the development of Europe’s cultural identity and diversity; seeking solutions to the problems facing European societies (xenophobia, intolerance, minorities, environmental protection, social exclusion, drugs, terrorism, organised crime, human cloning, etc.).

At present, the Council of Europe has 47 member-states.

Institutional bodies of the Council of Europe:
•    Committee of Ministers – the decision-making body of the CE;
•    Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) – the main consultative body of the CE;
•    Congress of Local and Regional Authorities – a consultative body of CE representing local and regional authorities in Europe;
•    Secretariat;
•    European Court of Human Rights – an international control mechanism tasked with reviewing violations of the provisions of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.
Bulgaria and the Council of Europe

The Republic of Bulgaria joined the Council of Europe on May 7th, 1992. On that date it signed the Statute of the Council of Europe, the CE General Agreement on Privileges and Immunities and the First Protocol thereto.

On May 7th, 1992, Bulgaria also signed the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and the Optional Protocol thereto.

Currently Bulgaria is a signatory of 78 Treaties of the Council of Europe.

Participation in the work of the Council of Europe remains one of the priorities of the Bulgarian Government’s foreign policy amid the changed institutional architecture of the European continent, even after the country's accession to both NATO and the EU.

Bulgaria’s cooperation with the Council of Europe is aimed at:
•    rational utilisation of the accumulated European experience for the country’s further democratic development through active participation in the Intergovernmental Cooperation Program of the Council of Europe, as well as in joint programs between CE and other organisations in different spheres;
•    ongoing active participation in the work of the Council of Europe on the implementation of initiatives arising from the decisions of the Third Council of Europe Summit (Warsaw, May 16th-17th, 2006);
•    raising priority issues for Bulgaria at different forums within the framework of the CE;
•    continuing the process of harmonisation of the Bulgarian legislation with European standards;
•    improving the implementation of the European Convention on Human Rights on a national level;
•    establishing the authority and the new image of Bulgaria in Europe: publicising Bulgaria’s achievements in different fields of public life, Bulgarian culture, and the Bulgarian experience in addressing certain issues;
•    cooperation through the mass media for publicising the results of intergovernmental cooperation with the Council of Europe;
•    Involvement of the civil society in cooperation with the Council of Europe.