site.btaEC Structural Reform Support Service to Help Bulgaria Reform Its Prosecuting Magistracy

EC Structural Reform Support Service to Help Bulgaria Reform Its Prosecuting Magistracy

Sofia, February 16 (BTA) - Experts of the Structural Reform Support Service (SRSS) at the European Commission will be able to assist Bulgaria with an independent expert assessment of the operation of the prosecuting magistracy and, if necessary, with the formulation of the new penal policy, it emerged after a working meeting between Bulgarian Justice Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva and SRSS Director Mary McCarthy, Zaharieva's Ministry said in a press release on Tuesday.

At the meeting, McCarthy presented the activity of the SRSS. The sides considered opportunities for providing expert technical assistance for acting on the recommendations in the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism report.

Zaharieva outlined the areas in which the European Commission can provide expert aid to Bulgaria, specifying that the reform in the prosecuting magistracy, the formulation of a new penal policy and expert witnesses' work preparing forensic reports are among the most important areas.

"For the amendments to the Penal Code, we need a completely new penal policy in line with European standards. The realistic deadline for these revisions is the end of 2017," the Justice Minister emphasized, adding that the Government fully backs her for the judicial reform.

Zaharieva stressed that the EU expert should start working on their analysis not later than mid-April 2016.

Accountability, transparency, caseload, career growth, performance appraisal, training and promotion, as well as an independent report on the work of the investigating authorities and specialized entities within the prosecution magistracy system, were commented as options for an independent analysis of the work of the prosecuting magistracy.

On behalf of the SRSS, McCarthy expressed readiness to facilitate the provision of the required support. She specified that she will discuss the areas of concern with the representatives of the Member States, who have already assumed a commitment to help prepare an independent expert assessment.

At the end of the meeting, it was decided to outline urgently a common plan for the duration of work and the specific areas of the experts' intervention.