At a second reading in a committee, MPs have expanded the protection for people signaling violations

The amendments to the Law on the Protection of Persons, submitting signals or publicly disclosing information about violations, went to the second reading in the Parliamentary Committee on Constitutional and Legal Affairs. The amendments increase the protection for people who report violations, and the law is part of the Recovery and Sustainability Plan for which Bulgaria has made a commitment.

The changes are intended to extend the protection of the reports. Excluded from the scope of the bill is information that is protected and in communication between lawyers and their clients. The texts provide for lawyers, notaries, bailiffs, legal advisers who are obliged to preserve professional secret, to receive protection in the case of reports of violations of legislation or EU acts that threaten or damage the public interest.

The signals received in the municipalities for corruption and conflict of interest will not be engaged in the established ethical committees on the ground, as predicted the initial proposal, but will be sent to the competent authorities, the Minister of Justice Georgi Georgiev suggested.

The changes also introduce an option for documenting the oral signals for violations, and will already be able not only to be recorded on a form, but also to be archived by recording.

Initially, there were two bills – the co -chairman of « We continue the change – Democratic Bulgaria » (PP – DB) Kiril Petkov and the government. At first reading, both options were adopted in the line committee, but in the plenary, MPs supported only the texts of the cabinet.

For first reading in the plenary, the government’s bill, which was protected by Justice Minister Georgi Georgiev, received 164 votes in favor of GERB, « We continue the change – democratic Bulgaria », « MRF – New Beginning », BSP, MRF -DPS, « There is such a people » and a sword. The Renaissance and Greatness were against, and a MP from « We continue the change – Democratic Bulgaria » voted with « abstentions ». The texts are to be voted on at second reading in the plenary.