site.btaJustice Minister in Luxembourg: Bulgaria Works to Include Aggression Crime in Penal Code

Justice Minister Atanas Slavov participated in the Justice meeting of EU's Justice and Home Affairs Council in Luxembourg on October 20, his Ministry said on Friday.

Ministers discussed the legislative initiative for a directive harmonising certain aspects of insolvency law, with a focus on the regulation of avoidance actions. Slavov pointed out that an approach giving more flexibility to national legislations was more appropriate, which turned out to be the predominant view of the member states. At the same time, there is a need for harmonisation in order to develop the free movement of capital and for the sustainable development of trade relations in the EU.

The current state of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine: the fight against impunity, was the next item on the Council's agenda. Member States reiterated their clear position to investigate, identify and punish any crime on the territory of the Ukrainian state. Slavov said that the current Bulgarian government clearly stands by its position to assist Ukraine - both militarily and legally. He stressed that a working group has been formed in the Justice Ministry to amend the Penal Code in order to regulate the crime of aggression and the National Institute of Justice is training Ukrainian magistrates.

Cooperation with Latin American countries was also part of the agenda, as were conclusions on digital empowerment and fundamental rights.

During the working lunch, Slavov presented Bulgaria's progress on constitutional amendments, the new anti-corruption legislation, along with other government initiatives.

On August 7, the Parliament adopted at first reading two bills to amend the Penal Code, introducing increased penalties for bodily harm. They were tabled after recent cases of domestic violence in the country became public. The draft bill of GERB-UDF, Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms provides for an increase in the penalty of "imprisonment" for causing medium bodily harm from six to eight years. The bill of Vazrazhdane provides for the introduction of a minimum threshold of three months imprisonment for causing trivial bodily harm.