The Presidium of the Economic and Social Council (ESC) held a meeting with the Secretary-General of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Mathias Cormann, and his team within the framework of their official visit to Bulgaria.

The conversation was dedicated to the country's progress on the path to OECD membership, key economic and social reforms, and the role of organized civil society in this process. The OECD Secretary-General outlined the current stage of the accession procedures, emphasizing the importance of the final phase of technical reviews.

The Chairman of the ESC, Zornitsa Rusinova, presented the Council's mission to defend the position of organized civil society and to seek a balance between employers, trade unions, and civil organizations. She stressed that Bulgaria's membership in the OECD is a long-term priority.

The Deputy Chairman from the “Employers” group, Maria Mincheva, focused on the business perspective, emphasizing the pension system reform and multi-funds.

The Deputy Chairman from the “Trade Unions” group, Plamen Dimitrov, emphasized the importance of education, qualification, and industrial policy. He expressed concern about industrial decline and job losses.

The Deputy Chairman from the “Civil Organizations” group, Bogomil Nikolov, drew attention to the social dimensions of the green and digital transformation.

During the discussion, the work of the ESC on key topics was also presented, including an analysis of the pension model and the adaptation of education.

The OECD Secretary-General, Mathias Cormann, expressed gratitude for the active contribution of the ESC to the process.

OECD membership is the next major economic and political task, which finds support from the government.