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1. Youth parliament

2. Youth councils and/or youth advisory boards

3. Higher education student union(s)

Youth parliament

Bulgaria does not have constitutionally established national Youth Parliament that forms part of the country’s formal representative democratic system. However, several youth representative and consultative structures exist at national and local level, which perform functions comparable to youth parliaments. The most prominent national-level structure is the National Youth Forum, alongside numerous Municipal Youth Councils (see the next section on youth councils and/or youth advisory boards for more information).

Youth councils and/or youth advisory boards

There is no national youth council established in Bulgaria. 

Youth representation structures operate primarily on the basis of the Youth Act (Закон за младежта) (effective from 20 April 2012, last amended and supplemented 2 August 2022), which regulates state youth policy and recognises youth participation as a principle of governance.

Youth representative bodies in Bulgaria aim to represent the interests of young people before public authorities; participate in consultations on youth-related legislation and strategies; facilitate the dialogue between youth organisations and institutions; promote civic participation and democratic values;

At national level, Bulgaria has an official Public Council on Youth Matters (Обществен съвет по въпросите за младежта) which functions as a formal advisory body to the Minister of Youth and Sports. This council is part of the national youth policy decision-making framework and serves as a consultative unit under the Ministry of Youth and Sports. It is not a constitutional institution but is recognised by the Youth Act as part of the implementation and consultation processes for youth policy.

The Public Council on Youth Matters was initiated in 2017 and operates under principles of transparency and public engagement in line with the Youth Act. 

The Public Council consists of representatives of youth organisations and organisations working with and for young people that are registered under the Non-Profit Legal Entities Act (Закон за юридическите лица с нестопанска цел) (effective from 1 January 2001, last amended and supplemented 17 June 2025).

In accordance with the Youth Act, the Public Council includes representatives of nationally representative youth organisations, representatives of youth organisations and organizations working with and for young people, other stakeholders relevant to youth policy, as determined by the Minister. The members participate as representatives of organisations rather than in an individual capacity. As such, there is no formal age range for members, but the organisations represented focus on young people (aged 15-29). 

Organisations are invited to participate based on their legal status and activity in the youth policy field or youth engagement. Membership is based on sector representation rather than individual election. The specific duration of individual terms and exact frequency of meetings are defined in the Council’s internal rules and practice. The Council meets regularly to discuss draft policy documents, initiatives and recommendations, though official schedules vary. By design, the Public Council includes a broad range of youth-focused organisations, which promotes diversity of geographic and thematic interests (e.g., students, sport, volunteer organisations, youth associations).

The Public Council on Youth Matters serves primarily an advisory and consultative role to the Minister of Youth and Sports. It prepares positions, gives opinions, and proposes initiatives to address youth-related issues and to support youth policy formulation within the competence of the ministry. It discusses and gives proposals on draft legal acts, strategic and programme documents, and reports on youth policy implementation. Furthermore, it proposes concrete initiatives in the field of youth policy, including recommendations for improving existing actions and coordination with stakeholders, and coordinates the interaction between the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the non-governmental sector in policy development and implementation.

This council does not have binding decision-making authority; its role is to provide advice, recommendations and sector insights which the Minister may consider in policy decisions. Its outputs include position papers, recommendations and advisory opinions.

The Public Council on Youth Matters does not have a separate public budget; it is supported administratively by the Youth Policy Directorate at the Ministry of Youth and Sports and functions within the ministry’s operational framework. As an advisory unit within the ministry’s structure, the Council does not have independent financial accountability; its administrative support, meeting facilities, and coordination are funded through the Ministry’s budget for youth policy activities.

At local level, municipal youth councils are established by decisions of municipal councils. They function as consultative bodies to local authorities and are not part of the constitutional structure. The number of members varies by municipality. Typically, the members are at the age of 15 to 29 years (depending on municipal rules). They are usually selected through nomination by schools, youth organisations, or open calls. The members and their term of office are defined by order of the mayor and the meetings are generally regular but frequency varies. Some municipalities apply outreach measures through schools and local youth organisations to ensure broader participation.

The Youth Act obliges the mayors of municipalities with population over 45 000 inhabitants to establish municipal youth councils to support their work, however it does not regulate the composition and the working procedures of these councils, therefore they vary across municipalities.

The municipal youth councils also act in an advisory capacity. They may submit proposals or recommendations to municipal councils or mayors, but their decisions are not binding.

Municipal youth councils may receive financial or logistical support from municipal budgets, access to municipal facilities.

They are accountable to the respective municipal council or mayor, depending on local regulations.

Higher education student union(s)

Higher education students are represented through a structured system of student self-governance regulated by the national legislation. The student representation in Bulgaria operates as a two-level system:

• student councils in each accredited higher education institution;
• National Representation of the Student Councils (Национално представителство на студентските съвети), which brings together the student councils of all accredited higher education institutions.

This structure is regulated by the Higher Education Act (Закон за висшето образование) (effective from 27 December 1995, last amended and supplemented 10 February 2026), which provides the legal basis for student self-governance and national representation.

Student councils are established within each university and they elect representatives to the National Representation of the Student Councils (NRSC), which is the national umbrella body of university student councils.

NRSC is established under the Higher Education Act, which provides for:

• the right of students to self-governance;
• the establishment of Student Councils in higher education institutions;
• the creation of a national representation body composed of these councils.

NRSC is a legal entity and operates independently, but within the framework of the Higher Education Act. It is not subordinated to the Ministry of Education, although it cooperates closely with public authorities.

According to its statutes and the Higher Education Act, the main governing bodies of NRSC include:

• General Assembly (composed of representatives of student councils);
• Executive Board;
• Chairperson;
• Control/Supervisory body.

The General Assembly is the supreme decision-making body.

Members of NRSC are student councils of accredited universities. Each student council nominates representatives to the General Assembly of NRSC. The number of members of the General Assembly depends on the number of accredited universities (over 50). Each university student council sends representatives according to rules defined in NRSC statutes.

Students elect representatives to their university student councils according to institutional procedures (regulated by the Higher Education Act and university rules). Student councils then delegate representatives to NRSC General Assembly. The General Assembly elects the Chairperson and Executive Board.

The mandate of student council bodies is generally two years, as regulated by the Higher Education Act. The mandate of NRSC governing bodies follows the statutory term (typically, two years). The General Assembly meets regularly (at least once annually). The Executive Board meets more frequently (regular meetings throughout the year).

The Higher Education Act guarantees universal student suffrage within institutions and equal participation rights for all enrolled students. Inclusiveness measures are primarily implemented at university level (e.g., representation of doctoral students, international students, and students from different faculties).

NRSC aims to:

• represent the interests of students at national level;
• protect students’ rights and academic interests;
• participate in public debates on higher education policy;
• facilitate communication between students and state authorities;
• promote academic, social and cultural initiatives.

Its main fields of activity cover higher education policy, quality assurance in higher education, student social policy (scholarships, dormitories, social services), academic rights, youth and education-related reforms, role in policy-making.

In accordance with the Higher Education Act, NRSC must be consulted on draft legislation and strategic documents concerning higher education and student affairs, may issue opinions, position papers and proposals and participate in consultative bodies and working groups at national level.

Its decisions are not legally binding, but its consultative role is formally recognised in legislation.

Student councils receive funding from the budgets of higher education institutions, and NRSC receives public funding allocated through the state budget for higher education.

School student union(s)

School students are represented through a structured system of student self-governance regulated by national legislation. Representation exists at school level (student councils) and at national level through an umbrella body. The top-level representative body is the National Student Parliament (NSP) (Национален ученически парламент).

The structure of school student representation operates on two levels:

• student councils established in individual schools;

• the National Student Parliament (NSP), which unites school-level student councils across the country.

The legal framework is provided by the Pre-school and School Education Act (Закон за предучилищното и училищното образование) (effective from 1 August 2016, last amendment and supplement 5 August 2025), which establishes:

• the right of students to participate in school governance;

• the creation of student councils in schools;

• the participation of student representatives in school public councils and other consultative bodies.

The National Student Parliament is registered as a non-profit legal entity and functions as a national umbrella organisation of school student councils. It is independent, but cooperates with the Ministry of Education and Science (Министерство на образованието и науката) and other public institutions. It is not a constitutional body and is not part of the formal state institutional structure.

According to its statutes, the NSP includes:

• General Assembly (composed of representatives from local/student councils);

• Executive Board;

• Chairperson;

• Control body.

The General Assembly is the supreme decision-making body. Members are school student councils or regional student structures. Representation is indirect. Students elect representatives at school level and these representatives participate in national structures.

The size of the General Assembly depends on the number of participating school or regional student councils nationwide. The Executive Board consists of a limited number of elected representatives (as defined in the statutes).

Students elect members of their school student councils according to internal school rules aligned with the Pre-school and School Education Act. Delegates to the national level are selected through internal procedures defined by the NSP statutes.

The General Assembly elects the Chairperson and Executive Board. The General Assembly meets regularly (at least once a year), and the Executive Board meets more frequently (periodic meetings during the academic year).

The legal framework guarantees equal participation rights for all students enrolled in schools. There are no specific statutory national measures targeting disadvantaged groups, but inclusiveness is addressed through school-level procedures.

The National Student Parliament aims to:

• represent school students at national level;

• protect students’ rights and interests;

• promote civic engagement and democratic participation among students;

• facilitate dialogue between students and public authorities;

• support initiatives related to education and youth issues.

It is active in the following areas: education policy, students’ rights and responsibilities, school environment and well-being, civic education, youth participation and volunteering, role in policy-making.

NSP has a consultative role. It participates in consultations organised by the Ministry of Education and Science, provides opinions on draft legislation and policy documents related to school education, engages in public discussions and working groups when invited.

Its decisions are not legally binding and there is no statutory obligation for authorities to adopt its recommendations, although it is recognised as a stakeholder in education policy consultations.

School student councils are supported by school budgets and operate within the institutional framework of the respective school.

The National Student Parliament operates as a non-profit legal entity and may receive project-based public funding, institutional support from the Ministry of Education and Science, grants and donations.

As a registered legal entity, it is financially accountable under the Bulgarian legislation governing non-profit organisations and subject to reporting requirements.

Other bodies

The National Youth Forum (Национален младежки форум) is an independent non-governmental umbrella organisation. It represents youth organisations at national level and acts as a consultative partner of public authorities. It is not supervised as a state body but cooperates institutionally with public authorities. 

The National Youth Forum (Национален младежки форум) is composed of member youth organisations rather than individual young people. Member organisations represent young people aged 15-29, in line with the national definition of youth under the Youth Act. Member organisations join voluntarily and appoint delegates to the General Assembly of the Forum according to its statutes. The governing bodies are elected by the General Assembly for a fixed term defined in the organisation’s statutes (typically two years). The General Assembly meets regularly (at least once a year), while the Management Board meets more frequently. The Forum promotes inclusiveness through open membership procedures, thematic working groups and participation in EU Youth Dialogue processes. It includes national, regional and thematic youth organisations, including student, minority and rural youth groups.

The funding is mainly project-based public funding (e.g. through national youth programmes or EU programmes such as Erasmus+), membership fees, other lawful sources (donations, grants).

As a registered non-profit organisation, the National Youth Forum is financially accountable under the Bulgarian legislation governing non-profit legal entities and is subject to financial reporting requirements.

Its main domains of activity typically cover youth policy and youth work, social inclusion, volunteering, civic participation; role in policy-making, implementation of the EU Youth Dialogue at national level.

The National Youth Forum has a consultative role. It may provide opinions and position papers on draft legislation and strategic documents, participate in working groups convened by ministries, contribute to national consultations within the EU Youth Dialogue framework. Its opinions are not legally binding, and public authorities are not formally obliged to adopt its proposals.