The Parliamentary Committee on Legal Affairs supported at first reading the bill to amend the Code of Civil Procedure (CCP) submitted by the Council of Ministers. The decision was made with full unanimity — 17 votes "in favor," with no votes "against" or "abstentions" recorded.
The primary motivation for these changes is the transposition of EU Directive 2024/1069 of April 11, 2024. It is aimed at protecting persons participating in public debate against clearly unfounded claims or abusive court proceedings brought against them. The purpose of the regulation is to curb the practice of using the judicial system as a tool to silence critical voices, while simultaneously guaranteeing the right of access to court, a fair trial, and the protection of the parties' reputation.
Deputy Minister of Justice Iva Kecheva pointed out that the new provisions should reduce the number of cases against journalists and other public figures working on issues of public interest. Furthermore, the changes are expected to alleviate the workload of magistrates. Kecheva added that during the preparation of the bill, the ministry held working groups in which representatives of the magistrate community took an active part, and their positions were carefully taken into account.
Lyubomir Talev from the Legislative Council at the Ministry of Justice explained that although the scope of the directive is formally limited to cross-border cases, the EU legal instruments set basic standards. According to him, member states are explicitly encouraged to go beyond these minimum levels of protection.
The Chair of the Legal Committee, Yanka Tyankova ("Progressive Bulgaria"), noted that this is the first historical instance in which a text protecting a wide range of individuals — journalists, scientists, public figures, and environmentalists — has been submitted to the National Assembly. She recalled that although SLAPP cases (known as "gag lawsuits") are a frequent occurrence in Bulgaria, there is no current statistics on them. According to Tyankova, the new rules will guarantee freedom of speech and prevent direct pressure, thereby strengthening democratic processes in the country.
During the meeting, the committee also approved a template for a declaration of financial status, origin of funds, and private interests in accordance with Art. 19a, para. 1 of the Judicial System Act. Yanka Tyankova clarified that the procedure has already been coordinated for the professional quota of SJC (Supreme Judicial Council) members, and the template itself has been sent for final approval by the Minister of Justice.
The agenda also included another bill for amendments to the CCP, proposed by "Democratic Bulgaria." Upon the proposal of Nadezhda Yordanova, its consideration was postponed for the next committee meeting on the grounds that additional opinions on the texts are necessary.