site.btaAgreement on Bulgaria's Participation in OECD Regional Programme Ratified

The National Assembly Thursday voted, 163-32 with 12 abstentions, to adopt at first reading a Government-proposed bill to ratify an Agreement between Bulgaria and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on Bulgaria's participation in the OECD Regional Programme for South-Eastern Europe with a voluntary financial contribution of EUR 100,000.

The explanatory memorandum to the bill stated that the OECD Regional Programme for South-Eastern Europe was established in 2000 as a platform for close cooperation between governments, the private sector and civil society from the region and OECD experts in order to identify and overcome economic and other challenges.

The Programme has a strong positive impact by helping countries in the region identify priority areas for reforms and promoting their implementation with a view to approaching OECD and EU standards and practices.

A report of the parliamentary Committee on Foreign states that Romania and Croatia, which are in the process of accession talks with the OECD along with Bulgaria, are already engaged in the activities of the OECD Regional Programme for South-Eastern Europe.