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Bulgaria promises better implementation of European Human Rights Court judgments

29/05/2009 Legal Affairs and Human Rights

Strasbourg, 29.05.2009 – Christos Pourgourides (Cyprus, EPP/CD), rapporteur of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on the implementation of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights, has ended a two-day visit to Sofia (28-29 May 2009) with a call for greater domestic parliamentary supervision to ensure Bulgaria implements the Court’s judgments. 

The rapporteur welcomed the Bulgarian Justice Ministry’s “Concept Paper” on overcoming significant problems that have arisen with respect to the implementation of the Strasbourg Court's judgments. This document was adopted by Bulgaria’s Council of Ministers on 9 March 2009, and has been sent to the National Assembly. Mr Pourgourides emphasised the need for the Concept to be implemented in practice, and received assurances from several ministries to this effect.

During the visit, he met the Minister of Justice and the Deputy Minister of the Interior, as well as otherofficials and the members of the Bulgarian delegation to PACE to discuss this question, partly on the basis of a May 2008 memo which listed outstanding issues for Bulgaria.
 
This is the first in a series of visits aimed at applying parliamentary pressure on states where delays or difficulties in implementing Court judgments have arisen. He will later travel to Greece, Italy, Moldova, Romania, the Russian Federation, Turkey and Ukraine.
 
May 2008 memorandum listing outstanding issues for Bulgaria (PDF)