Economic Policy

The Economic Policy Directorate has the following functions:

1. Develops and proposes measures to enhance the competitiveness of the Bulgarian economy and industry and to strengthen the position of Bulgarian enterprises in international markets;
2. Participates in the development, coordination and implementation of policies concerning small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and entrepreneurship, as well as in supporting the development of clusters in the Bulgarian economy;
3. Develops and coordinates the implementation of the National Strategy for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises;
4. Proposes and implements projects and measures aimed at applying the principles of the Small Business Act in the Republic of Bulgaria;
5. Proposes and implements measures to support the implementation of the European Union’s Strategy for small and medium-sized enterprises;
6. Organises, coordinates and participates in the implementation of better regulation policy in the field of economic activity and prepares proposals to improve the business environment and eliminate and/or simplify existing regulatory regimes;
7. Provides methodological assistance in preparing impact assessments of regulatory acts on small and medium-sized enterprises;
8. Proposes and implements measures to improve the conditions for introducing the dual system of vocational education and training in Bulgaria and maintains an information database of employers meeting the requirements for participation in partnerships for work-based learning;
9. Prepares sectoral analyses of the economy and industrial sectors to support decision-making on measures aimed at enhancing competitiveness and improving the business environment;
10. Participates in the development and implementation of measures to promote and support Bulgarian industry and coordinates the implementation of the National Industrial Strategy;
11. Establishes and maintains the Central Supply Chain Traceability Register under the Protection of Competition Act;
12. Prepares and provides specialised economic information, statistical data and analytical materials to the directorates within the Ministry and supports their activities by providing the necessary materials;
13. Conducts information exchange with government and international institutions and develops and maintains specialised databases in support of analyses of the country’s economic development;
14. Organises and leads the activities of Working Group No. 15 “Industrial Policy and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises” pursuant to Council of Ministers Decree No. 85 of 2007 on the coordination of European Union affairs, within the Council for European Affairs;
15. Coordinates and prepares the Minister’s participation in the dialogue between the Government and representatives of businesses, associations and local self-government bodies;
16. Coordinates and prepares the Minister’s participation in the Advisory Council for the Promotion of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (Advisory Council for SMEs) and provides administrative support for the activities of the Advisory Council for SMEs;
17. Coordinates and prepares the Minister’s participation in the Advisory Council for Industrial Stability and Growth;
18. Participates in the development of measures to promote the circular, digital and low-carbon economy and energy efficiency among small and medium-sized enterprises and in industry;
19. Cooperates with ministries, agencies and non-governmental organisations on activities related to the development of a low-carbon, resource-efficient, circular and digital economy, the development of net-zero emission industry, the acceleration of strategic projects in the field of critical raw materials, environmental protection and climate change mitigation, within its functional competence;
20. Participates in the development of measures to improve energy efficiency in small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as energy consumption by industrial systems, within the competence of the Minister in implementing state energy efficiency policy;
21. Carries out tasks related to the participation of the Republic of Bulgaria in working groups and committees of EU institutions and bodies and in international economic organisations on matters concerning small and medium-sized enterprises, entrepreneurship and industrial policy;
22. Participates in working groups and sessions of the Committee on SMEs and Entrepreneurship and the Committee on Industry, Innovation and Entrepreneurship of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD);
23. Participates in working groups and committees of the European Commission and its agencies on matters concerning small and medium-sized enterprises and industry, critical raw materials and net-zero technologies;
24. Develops, coordinates and implements the activities and measures under the National Medium-Term Fiscal-Structural Plan and the National Development Programme falling within the competence of the Ministry, and reports on the implementation of the programmes to the responsible institutions;
25. Participates in the development of operational programmes financed by EU funds, as well as in the development of specific schemes concerning policies for promoting small and medium-sized enterprises and industry in support of various sectors of the national economy;
26. Develops, coordinates, implements and supports national projects in support of small and medium-sized enterprises, industry and entrepreneurship;
27. Assists the Minister in exercising the powers conferred upon them under the Industrial Parks Act;
28. Participates in the development and implementation of state policy on industrial parks;
29. Acts as a coordination unit between the Council of Ministers and local self-government bodies pursuant to the Industrial Parks Act;
30. Develops draft programmes and decisions to promote the establishment, operation and/or development of industrial parks;
31. Implements measures for promoting industrial parks assigned by an act of the Council of Ministers;
32. Provides information free of charge on opportunities for establishing industrial parks;
33. Carries out compliance checks on activities conducted within the territory of an industrial park against the uses and parameters established by the applicable detailed development plan;
34. Establishes and maintains the Register of Industrial Parks and ensures the process of issuing orders for the registration and deregistration of industrial parks from the register under Article 21(1) of the Industrial Parks Act;
35. Provides opinions on and coordinates the agreements referred to in Article 28 of the Industrial Parks Act;
36. Participates in commissioning and/or preparing analyses for the inclusion of industrial parks in the list of key industrial parks of strategic importance under Article 19(2)(3) of the Industrial Parks Act;
37. Participates in implementing the policy for the establishment and development of industrial parks in Bulgaria and cooperates and coordinates activities with the National Company “Industrial Zones” EAD, jointly with the Public Enterprises Directorate;
38. Acts as a Single Point of Contact under Regulation (EU) 2024/1252 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 April 2024 establishing a framework for ensuring a secure and sustainable supply of critical raw materials and amending Regulations (EU) No 168/2013, (EU) 2018/858, (EU) 2018/1724 and (EU) 2019/1020, and as a Single Point of Contact under Regulation (EU) 2024/1735 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 June 2024 on establishing a framework of measures for strengthening Europe’s net-zero technology products manufacturing ecosystem and amending Regulation (EU) 2018/1724;
39. Participates in preparing the Ministry’s forecasts and draft budget and in implementing the programmes under the Ministry’s programme budget.