25/07/2024 The National Assembly adopted amendments to the Labour Code regulating the right of fathers to take parental leave when the mother is deprived of parental rights

25/07/2024

The National Assembly adopted amendments to the Labour Code providing for the possibility for fathers (adoptive parents) to take leave to raise a child up to 2 years of age in cases where the mother or adoptive mother is deprived of parental rights over the child or the exercise of these rights is granted to the father (adoptive parent). The amendments were voted at first and second reading in one plenary session. They were adopted unanimously with 159 votes in favour.

Previously, the Labour Code provided for fathers to take parental leave up to the age of 2 in the event of the mother's death or serious illness. It remains possible, with the father's consent, to transfer these leaves of absence to one of his parents, or to one of the mother's parents where she is employed.

The National Assembly adopted at first reading amendments to the Social Insurance Code, which provide for the same procedure for determining the amount of unemployment benefits for those who are insured only in Bulgaria and for those who are insured both in Bulgaria and in a member state of the European Union. The bill, submitted by Denitsa Satcheva and MPs from GERB-SDS, was approved with 145 votes in favour, three against and 19 abstentions.

The Parliament denounced the agreement between Bulgaria and Moldova on support for the Taraclia State University. The report of the Committee on Education states that so far the activities of Taraclia State University have been regulated on the basis of the agreement between the two countries for the support of the University. Due to changes in the legal framework of Moldova, the existence of the university is no longer possible in the way it used to function. After bilateral talks, an agreement was reached between the two governments on the establishment of a subdivision of the University of Ruse "Angel Kanchev" in Taraclia, Moldova.

The National Assembly heard the Interim Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Violeta Koritarova and the Chairman of the Management Board of the Road Infrastructure Agency Yordan Valchev on the project "Tunnel under Shipka". The Minister announced in the plenary chamber that 2025 is the optimistic deadline for the start of the activities for the development of the technical project for a tunnel under Shipka. The reason is that this year action will have to be taken to secure the areas for the tunnel portals, Violeta Koritarova said.