On the 11th of November 2024, the ninth national meeting under the newly created EU network against corruption took place in Bulgaria at the premises of the European Commission Representation in Sofia.

As part of the EU network against corruption the Commission hosts national meetings to provide an opportunity for EU Member States’ anti-corruption stakeholders to engage in dialogue and raise awareness on anti-corruption issues. The EU network against corruption, set up as part of the EU anti-corruption adopted on 3 May 2023, brings together national authorities, practitioners, civil society, international organisations, EU agencies and relevant services of the European Commission.

Based on the Bulgarian chapter of the 2024 Rule of Law Report, which highlighted the need to ensure a robust track record of investigations, prosecutions and final judgements in high-level corruption cases and the effective performance of the Anti-Corruption Commission, the meeting in Sofia focussed on effective prevention and repression of high-level corruption.

The meeting started with a brief introduction by the European Commission Representation in Bulgaria. After an introduction of the Bulgarian Country Chapter of the Rule of Law Report 2024 and key recommendations by a Representative of the European Commission, the participants were split into groups to discuss questions regarding the key challenges to effective prevention and investigation of high-level corruption cases as well as effective prosecution and adjudication of high-level corruption cases.

In the second round, these challenges were discussed in small groups, focusing on the question: what potential solutions could address the identified challenges. For each challenge, participants generated a list of possible solutions. The proposed solutions highlighted the need to strengthen institutional integrity, modernise legal provisions, enhance investigative capabilities, and promote transparency through legislative reforms.