site.btaCouncil for Civil Society Development Holds Regular Meeting

The Council for Civil Society Development (CCSD) held a regular meeting on Monday at the Council of Ministers building under the chairmanship of Deputy Prime Minister and BSP - United Left Floor Leader Atanas Zafirov, the Government press service said. During the session, the CCSD adopted decisions aimed at concrete steps to strengthen the partnership between the State and civil society organizations.

The CCSD approved the final composition of the working group tasked with drafting the Strategy for the Development of Civil Society Organizations in the Republic of Bulgaria. Miroslav Tsekov, Board Chair of Citizen Participation Forum, was elected as Chair of the group. A Working Group was also established to determine funding priorities and to draft rules and procedures for allocating resources to promote and financially support projects of public significance by non-profit legal entities engaged in socially beneficial activities.

In the context of ongoing public debates, Council members also discussed the draft amendments to the Criminal Code that propose criminalising the dissemination of information about private life. The Council adopted a negative position on the proposed provisions, emphasizing the need to balance the right to information with the protection of personal privacy, as well as to preserve freedom of expression and journalistic investigations as a cornerstone of democratic society.

Deputy Prime Minister Zafirov noted that such issues are part of active public debate and that the Council plays an important role as a platform for dialogue and consensus between institutions and the civil sector. The withdrawal of the draft law by its sponsors suggests that public discussion may continue in a broader and more balanced format.