OECD Chief Discusses Bulgaria’s Accession Path at Public Lecture, Meeting with Economic and Social Council in Sofia 2026

Balgarianovinite.com Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Secretary-General Mathias Cormann delivered a public lecture on Bulgaria’s path to OECD membership at Sofia University on Friday. As part of his visit to Sofia, Cormann, together with his team, also met with the Chairpersons’ Council of Bulgaria’s Economic and Social Council (ESC) to discuss the country’s progress toward OECD membership, key economic and social reforms, and the role of organized civil society in the process.
Friday’s lecture was organized by the Diplomatic Institute to the Foreign Minister together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Sofia University, in partnership with the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration. Attending the event were outgoing Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev, Sofia University Rector Prof. Georgi Valchev, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration Dean Atanas Georgiev, Diplomatic Institute head Tanya Mihaylova as moderator, as well as representatives of the diplomatic corps, state institutions, academic circles, lecturers, and students.
During the lecture, Cormann said that the joint efforts of all political parties represented in the Bulgarian Parliament over the next two months would be crucial to completing Bulgaria’s pre-accession process to the OECD in 2026. He highlighted the progress achieved over the past 12 months, which, in his words, gives him confidence that the accumulated momentum will not be lost.
Cormann noted that the OECD expects progress in five areas where technical reviews have not yet been finalized: anti-corruption measures, corporate governance in state-controlled enterprises, waste management, investment, and public governance. He added that Bulgaria’s progress on its accession path generates strong and broad momentum for reform, including the establishment of more independent and robust competition authorities, the strengthening of anti-corruption policies, and measures to promote the principles of responsible business conduct in multinational operations.
He recalled that Bulgaria’s journey toward OECD membership began in January 2022, shortly after he assumed office as OECD Secretary-General in June 2021. Since then, teams from 25 OECD committees have conducted and successfully completed reviews of legislation, policies, and practices across a wide range of areas. Among the completed technical work, he highlighted fiscal and monetary policy, education, competition, healthcare, agriculture and fisheries, statistics, employment, and social policy.
Outgoing Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev said that, having joined Schengen and the euro area, Bulgaria’s bid to join the OECD should be regarded as a long-term strategic choice rather than merely a technical procedure or a foreign policy objective. He noted that successive governments have worked toward this goal, treating it as a cross-party commitment to establishing Bulgaria as a predictable and reliable partner in the global economic community. Georgiev also described Bulgaria’s initiative to host the OECD Global Skills Summit in 2028 as further evidence of the country’s long-term interest in working closely with the Organisation on this key policy issue.
Rector Prof. Georgi Valchev said that joining the OECD will help Bulgaria “draw on the good practices created in the past years to the fullest in this growingly insecure world.”
Dean Atanas Georgiev noted that through its Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Sofia University has been an associate member of the OECD’s financial education network since 2021.
At his meeting with the Chairpersons’ Council of Bulgaria’s Economic and Social Council on Friday, Cormann outlined the current stage of the accession procedures, stressing the importance of the final phase of technical reviews by the Economic and Development Review Committee.
During the discussion, the ESC presented its work on key topics, including a comprehensive analysis of the pension model covering its three pillars and based on balanced dialogue among employers, trade unions and civil organizations. ESC Chair Zornitsa Rusinova recalled that the Council adopted a resolution in support of OECD membership two years ago and emphasized the ESC’s role in supporting reforms through expert proposals and consistent backing for government efforts to meet accession criteria. The Deputy Chairs of the ESC Groups representing employers, trade unions and civil organizations, Maria Mincheva, Plamen Dimitrov and Bogomil Nikolov, highlighted priorities related to regulatory modernization, education and skills development, industrial policy, and the social dimensions of the green and digital transitions.
In conclusion, Cormann expressed appreciation for the ESC’s active contribution to the accession process and noted the importance of the issues addressed by the Council for Bulgaria’s sustainable economic and social development.
On Thursday, Cormann presented the OECD’s third Economic Survey of Bulgaria at the Council of Ministers in Sofia, where he appeared together with outgoing Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov and outgoing ministers. OECD Chief Discusses Bulgaria’s Accession Path at Public Lecture, Meeting with Economic and Social Council in Sofia 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-02-06 19:52:00 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law