Bulgaria’s Parliament doubles fines for breaking Protection against Discrimination Act
Bulgaria’s Parliament approved on March 12 the second and final reading of amendments to the Protection against Discrimination Act, effectively doubling the fines for breaking the law.
Previously, the fines ranged from 500 to 2000 leva, with the amendments now changing this to 500 to 2000 euro.
Bulgaria’s Protection against Discrimination Act came into effect on January 1 2004.
According to Article 4 of the Act “Any direct or indirect discrimination on the grounds of sex, race, nationality, ethnic origin, citizenship, origin, religion or belief, education, opinions, political belonging, personal or public status, disability, age, sexual orientation, marital status, property status, or on any other grounds, established by the law, or by international treaties to which the Republic of Bulgaria is a party, is forbidden”.
The March 2026 amendments, which were tabled by the government, provide that members of the Commission for Protection against Discrimination shall not bear criminal or civil liability for their official actions and acts, unless it is an intentional crime of a general nature.
An explanatory memorandum to the amendments said that they are aimed are guaranteeing the independence of the Commission and protect it from external pressure.
Bulgarian legislation lacked an explicit provision regulating the independence of the members of the Commission in the performance of their duties, which, according to the explanatory memorandum, creates the possibility of it being attacked both institutionally and personally.
The amendments also specify the powers of the Commission – after prior consent of the affected person, it will be able to appeal administrative acts that violate the principle of equal treatment, as well as to file claims and be included as a party in court cases in such cases.
(Photo: parliament.bg)
