site.btaMinisters Approve National Implementation Plan for EU Pact on Migration and Asylum

The Bulgarian government adopted a National Implementation Plan for the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, the Council of Ministers press office reported on Wednesday, covering the weekly government meeting. The Pact consists of 10 legislative acts and entered into effect on June 11, 2024. The member states have two years until June 12, 2026, to prepare for its implementation.

As part of the preparation process, on June 12, 2024, the European Commission published a Common Implementation Plan, a template for the national implementation plans and an operational checklist.

The member states were to present their approved national implementation plans to the Commission by December 12, 2024.

The activities and the measures laid down in the Bulgarian plan are geared towards achieving 10 main targets in line with the Pact's requirements concerning the use of the Eurodac system, security screening of people at the external EU borders, fast-track processing of international protection applications, effective return of people whose applications have been denied, and creating adequate conditions to receive people entitled to protection and integrate them in the receiving society.

Most activities will be supported financially by the EU based on an assessment of the needs in separate domains.