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1. Formal Mechanisms of Consultation

2. Actors

Formal Mechanisms of Consultation

In Bulgaria, youth consultation is regulated primarily through sector-specific legislation (youth, education, higher education), as well as through general legislation on public consultations applicable to all policy areas.

The Youth Act (Закон за младежта) (effective from 20 April 2012, last amended and supplemented 2 August 2022) establishes the principles of youth participation in the development, implementation and monitoring of youth policy. It provides for:

• consultation with youth organisations in the preparation of national youth strategies and programmes;

• the establishment of the Public Council on Youth Matters to the Minister of Youth and Sports as a formal consultative mechanism;

• cooperation between state authorities and youth organisations at national and local level.

These provisions apply primarily to youth policy, but in practice youth organisations are also consulted on cross-sectoral issues affecting young people (education, employment, social inclusion).

The Normative Acts Act (Закон за нормативните актове) (effective from 3 April 1973, last amendment and supplement from 3 May 2016) requires public consultation during the drafting of normative acts. Draft legislation must be published for public consultation (usually for 30 days), allowing individuals and organisations, including youth organisations and young people, to submit opinions. This mechanism applies across all policy areas, not only youth policy.

The Public Consultation Portal (Strategy.bg) (Портал за обществени консултации) is used for publishing draft legislation and collecting feedback.

At national level, consultation occurs through:

• the Public Council on Youth Matters (youth-specific consultation) (see section 5.3 for more information);

• participation of youth organisations (e.g. the National Youth Forum) (see section 5.3 for more information) in working groups and expert councils;

• public consultations under the Normative Acts Act;

• sectoral consultation mechanisms (e.g. in education policy, higher education).

There is no formal regional youth consultation structure mandated by law. Consultation at this level is limited, as regional administrations primarily implement national policies.

At local level, municipalities may establish youth consultative bodies (see section 5.3 for more information).

The Youth Act encourages cooperation between national and local authorities and youth organisations, but it does not establish binding national guidelines standardising consultation procedures at municipal level. Practices therefore vary.

Formal consultation mechanisms include:

• consultative councils (e.g. Public Council on Youth Matters);

• participation in inter-ministerial and expert working groups;

• public online consultations via the government consultation portal;

• written submissions of opinions and position papers;

• public hearings, round tables and thematic meetings;

• EU Youth Dialogue consultation cycles coordinated nationally.

Where consultation is channelled through representative bodies (e.g. the National Youth Forum, student unions, school student bodies), their structures are described in Section 5.3.

Consultations occur through a combination of regular mechanisms and (meetings of the Public Council on Youth Matters, structured EU Youth Dialogue cycles, statutory public consultation periods for draft legislation) and ad hoc consultations (case-by-case participation of youth organisations in working groups, consultations linked to specific draft strategies or programmes).

Public consultation under the Normative Acts Act follows a legally defined procedure but is triggered whenever draft legislation is prepared, rather than according to a fixed annual schedule.

Actors

The main youth actors involved in formal consultation mechanisms include:

• National Youth Forum – umbrella organisation representing youth NGOs at national level (see Section 5.3);

• member youth organisations of the National Youth Forum (national, regional and thematic organisations);

• youth NGOs registered under the Youth Act and the Law on Non-Profit Legal Entities;

• youth organisations active in volunteering, civic participation, environment, human rights, sport and culture;

• National Representation of the Student Councils – representing higher education students (see Section 5.3);

• National Student Parliament – representing school students (see Section 5.3);

• university student councils and school student councils;

• consultative Bodies;

• Public Council on Youth Matters to the Minister of Youth and Sports (see Section 5.3);

• municipal youth councils (local consultative bodies) (see Section 5.3).

Youth participation levels vary depending on the consultation mechanism. In formal consultative councils, participation is typically indirect and representative (through organisations). In public online consultations, participation is open to individuals and organisations.

There is no separate statutory consultation body exclusively dedicated to young people with fewer opportunities or migrant background. However, the Youth Act promotes principles of inclusion and equal access to participation. The National Youth Strategy 2021-2030 (Национална стратегия за младежта 2021-2030) includes priorities related to social inclusion, disadvantaged youth and rural youth, and the calls for participation in EU Youth Dialogue consultations are generally open and aim to ensure broad representation.

There is no legally binding quota system ensuring representation of specific disadvantaged groups in the national consultative bodies.

Key public authorities involved in youth consultation processes include:

• Ministry of Youth and Sports – leading authority for youth policy coordination;

• Ministry of Education and Science – responsible for school and higher education policy;

• Other line ministries depending on the policy field (e.g. labour and social policy, environment, culture);

• The Council of Ministers (in the context of national strategy adoption);

• Municipal authorities at local level.

Public authorities typically organise consultations through advisory councils, working groups, public online consultations under the Normative Acts Act, public hearings and round tables.

In addition to youth organisations and public authorities, consultation processes may involve:

• higher education institutions and schools;

• research institutes and policy experts;

• non-governmental organisations outside the youth field (e.g. social inclusion, human rights, environmental NGOs, sports organisations);

• national agencies for the EU programmes (e.g. Erasmus+);

• representatives of the private sector in discussions related to youth employment and skills;

• international organisations and EU-level bodies in the context of EU Youth Dialogue cycles.

Information on the extent of youth participation

No information on the extent of youth participation is collected. There is no single, publicly accessible, systematic statistical register that reports the number of young people participating across all consultation processes. 

Outcomes

The outcomes from the consultations within the Public Council on Youth Matters are made public in the form of meeting minutes published on the National Youth Information System administered by the Ministry of Youth and Sports.   

Large-scale initiatives for dialogue or debate between public institutions and youth people

In Bulgaria, several structured and large-scale initiatives facilitate direct dialogue and debate between young people and public institutions beyond formal consultation mechanisms. These include national implementation of the EU Youth Dialogue, UN youth delegate programmes, and regular exchanges with policymakers at EU level events.

National Working Group on EU Youth Dialogue

At the national level, the National Working Group on EU Youth Dialogue serves as a multi-stakeholder platform that organises dialogue activities and consultation events with young people and public authorities. It works to strengthen the implementation of the EU Youth Dialogue process in Bulgaria, ensure wider inclusion and promote exchange between youth and decision-makers. This national working group includes representatives from the Ministry of Youth and Sports, other ministries and youth organisations. These dialogues involve national consultations, events and thematic discussions at local and national level with young people on topics defined by the EU Youth Strategy. The outcomes are then used to inform policy discussions at EU Youth Conferences, where Bulgarian youth delegates meet with policymakers and representatives from other Member States.

Participation in EU Youth Conferences and ministerial debates

Twice a year, Bulgarian youth delegates and representatives of youth organisations participate in EU Youth Conferences and informal political debates of EU youth directors and ministers. These events facilitate direct exchange of views between young people and high-level policymakers on key EU priorities, such as human rights, environmental protection, youth participation, and the role of youth work. 

UN Youth Delegates Programme

The Bulgarian Youth Delegates to the United Nations is a national initiative connecting young people with both national and international policy arenas. Appointed delegates gather input from young people across the country through surveys and meetings, analyse this feedback and then represent Bulgarian youth at the UN General Assembly and other international forums. This programme creates an institutionalised channel for dialogue between Bulgarian youth and national public institutions, as well as international decision-makers. 

Other

A recent flagship initiative was the National Youth Conference “Youth Policy in Action: Roadmap and Local Partnerships” organized by the Ministry of Youth and Sports in November 2025. The event brought together representatives of municipalities, youth centres, youth organisations, experts and practitioners from across Bulgaria to discuss national and local youth policy development. 

In February 2026, the Ministry organised a working meeting on the normative framework, financing and sustainability of youth work, bringing together national institutions, youth organisations and experts. During these discussions, the Ministry emphasized on the efforts to develop standards for youth centres and youth services, as well as definitions for “youth worker” and “youth work” that could be included in future regulatory acts to strengthen professional practice in the sector.

On the occasion of the 12 August (International Youth Day) every year, the Ministry of Youth and Sports organises various events and initiatives countrywide to celebrate the International Youth Day. These events comprise festivals, concerts, sports and art demonstrations, youth information fairs, etc., which are always accompanied with a kind of discussion forms between policy-makers and young people.