Consumer Policy Directorate has the following functions:
1. provides assistance to the Minister of Economy and Industry for the formulation, implementation and coordination of consumer protection policy and for its integration in the implementation of the sectoral and horizontal policies;
2. provides assistance to the Minister of Economy and Industry in fulfilling his/her obligations in connection with the membership of the Republic of Bulgaria in the EU with regard to consumer protection;
3. provides assistance to the Minister of Economy and Industry for the:
a) elaboration of a list of qualified entities in Republic of Bulgaria having locus standi for bringing actions for injunction in court for the suspension or prohibition of commercial practices that violates the collective interests of consumers;
b) recognition capacity of representative associations at national level, in pursuance with the Law on Consumer Protection;
c) recognition of the ADR bodies for the settlement of consumer disputes, in pursuance with the Law on Consumer Protection;
d) provision of financial support to representative consumer associations, in pursuance with the Law on Consumer Protection;
4. takes part in drafting of normative acts of the horizontal legislation for consumer protection;
5. prepares and proposes for approval by the Council for EU Affairs with the Council of Ministers of draft positions on the issues considered by the Council of the EU affairs and its preparatory bodies, as well as in the decision-making process under Art. 290 and 291 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union;
6. participates in the negotiation in different working formats of the EU institutions in connection with the adoption and implementation of EU law for consumer protection, incl. in the work of the Working Party “Consumer Protection and Information” of the Council of the EU and in different Working Groups of the European Commission;
8. organizes and manages the activity of Working Group 21 “Consumer Protection” with the Council for ER Affairs to the Council of Ministers, namely by:
(a) drafting opinions on the compliance of draft legislation with EU law;
(b) analyzing the development of consumer protection policy at European level;
c) preparing, and participating in the elaboration of information, opinions, positions and instructions on consumer protection, coordinating them with the competent national authorities in connection with the participation of Bulgarian representatives in the work of the EU institutions;
(d) carrying out dialogue and interacting with non-governmental organizations for consumer protection and organising their participation in the process of development, implementation and enforcement of the EU law;
(e) informing economic operators about their rights and obligations stemming from the EU law;
9. prepares, coordinates and submits for approval by the Council for EU Affairs with the Council of Ministers of drafts opinions on inquiries submitted by the European Commission on the correct transposition and enforcement of EU law for consumer protection, as well as the elaboration of answers to the European Commission on the transposition of European directives into national law;
10. preparing notification of national legal acts, introducing the requirements of EU directives for consumer protection in the electronic system of the European Commission for notification of national executive measures;
11. sends notifications to the EU Commission for national measures implementing the EU legislation on consumer protection;
12. carries out studies and analyses of the EU law and practices of the other EU Member States in the field of the horizontal legislation for consumer protection;
13. carries out functions of Secretariat of the National Council for Consumer Protection and coordinates its activity;
14. interacts with the Commission for Consumer Protection and with other administrative bodies having competencies in the field of consumer protection;
15. participates in the work of working bodies of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) dealing with consumer protection.