site.btaInnovation Minister Karadimov: Bulgaria's OECD Membership Will Show Bulgarian Economy's Potential

"Bulgaria's membership in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) will show the potential of the Bulgarian economy. Our country's accession to the OECD is a national priority and we are working hard to implement it," Innovation and Growth Minister Rosen Karadimov said during the hearing of the 94th session of the OECD Committee on Digital Economy Policy.

Minister Karadimov presented the national position on the progress of the recommendations made by the Committee, the Ministry of Innovation and Growth said on Tuesday.

"Through the reforms on the path to membership, Bulgaria is working to create new jobs and introduce innovations in a number of sectors of the economy, in education, in the environment, etc," Minister Karadimov said. He pointed out that Bulgaria has made significant progress in the accession process through a comprehensive approach that includes legislative reforms and investments in human capital.

Minister Karadimov stressed that Bulgaria's accession initiatives promote innovation and transparency, strengthening digital security and contributing to the efficient and effective use of data.

Regarding better access to and more efficient use of information in the public sector, as well as improving access to and sharing of data, Minister Karadimov noted that Bulgaria is developing a national data law and upgrading its Open Data Portal. Leading the process to facilitate data re-use are the Ministry of eGovernment and the National Statistical Institute (NSI).

Karadimov said Bulgaria is making progress in building its National Health Information System as part of the upcoming European Health Data Space.

The aim is to enable the cross-border exchange of health data and ensure individuals have control over their personal information.

The Minister of Innovation further stated that numerous projects are being implemented to enhance information security, awareness, competency development, incident management, knowledge and innovation in this area. Karadimov stressed that measures related to the development of artificial intelligence are integrated in Bulgaria's National Roadmap for the Digital Decade.

"Bulgaria continues its commitment in terms of progress related to digital transformation in line with the OECD recommendations on digital policy and new technological developments. By continuing these efforts, we aim to build a more sustainable and digitally-enabled future," Minister Karadimov stressed.

After the hearing it became clear that a positive decision was made and Bulgaria closes the chapter on digital policy.

Karadimov met earlier in the day OECD Secretary General Mathias Cormann with whom he discussed Bulgaria's accession to the organization.