MRDPW successfully presented Bulgaria to the Regional Policy Committee of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and received support for future membership

The 50^th meeting of the Regional Policy Committee of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) was held in Paris, where Bulgaria's progress and the compliance of the country's regional policy with the Organisation's legal instruments were presented. The Bulgarian delegation was led by Asya Stankova, Director General of the Directorate General “Strategic Planning and Regional Development Programmes” at the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works. It included experts and representatives from the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in Paris, the administration of the Council of Ministers, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, the National Statistical Institute, the National Association of Municipalities in the Republic of Bulgaria.

The main topics covered in the Bulgarian presentation were related to the institutional and regulatory framework for regional development in the country, the process of decentralization, as well as the new integrated territorial approaches for urban and rural development. In the discussion that followed, members of the Bulgarian delegation answered questions raised by representatives of other participating countries. Bulgaria's progress and achievements in the field of regional policy were highly appreciated by the Committee members. The event was fruitful, providing an opportunity to broaden contacts and exchange experiences with the representatives of the OECD Secretariat as well as with the teams of the other member countries of the Committee.

It is expected that in the summer of this year the OECD will send an official letter with information on the results of the hearing, taking into account the overall performance of the country and the compliance of national policies with the legal instruments and recommendations of the Organization.

This is an important step in the process of Bulgaria joining the OECD as a full member.