Forthcoming policy developments

In 2021, the Ministry of Youth and Sports started a procedure for adoption of a Bill for Amendment and Supplement to the Youth Act (Проект на Закон за допълнение и изменение на Закона за младежта).

The Bill for Amendment and Supplement to the Youth Act provides for the following amendments and supplements:

• changes to the content of the National Youth Strategy: vision for the youth policy development, leading principles for the strategy implementation and expected results;
• changes to the youth report period (the Ministry of Youth and Sports should prepare the youth report every three years instead of annually) and to the youth report content: it should summarize the changes and trends in the socio-economic position of young people during the three-years’ reporting period and should cover at least the following thematic areas: education, employment, health and wellbeing; participation and youth spaces; youth organisations; belonging to the European Union; inclusion and equality; young people from rural and remote areas; awareness;
• inclusion of provision to the Public Council on Youth Issues in addition to the National Advisory Council of Youth as bodies supporting the minister of youth and sports in the implementation of the national youth policy.

The Bill for Amendment and Supplement to the Youth Act is currently in process of review by the National Assembly between the first and the second reading.

The website of the National Youth Information System (NYIS) (Национална информационна система за младежта) administered by the Youth Policy Department of the Ministry of Youth and Sports is currently subject to renewal and upgrade. The now-existing website will be transformed into advanced functional platform, which will become an online point for cooperation among all stakeholders in the implementation of the national youth policy. The renewed platform will allow all stakeholders to log into the site and to exchange information. The platform will comprise: 1) information website; 2) register of youth organisations that work for and with young people; 3) platform for monitoring the progress of the implementation of the national youth strategy; and 4) online system to apply for funding under the national youth programs. The new NYIS will be an open source, accessible and inclusive platform that meets the international principles of digital development.