Modern Information Technologies and General Public Protection in the Republic of Bulgaria

ulgaria is in the process of adapting its system for crisis and emergency management to the requirements of democratic governance, market economy and membership in NATO and the European Union. With the start of the comprehensive defense reform in 1999, the Civil Protection Agency, until that time part of the Ministry of Defense, received the status of a State Agency as a first-level budget holder directly subordinated to the Council of Ministers. Dealing with a variety of natural and man-made disasters, the Agency cooperates with numerous organizations, including the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of the Interior, local authorities, etc. The Agency has a range of capabilities allowing it to serve as the central national authority in dealing with civil emergencies. With a history of timely and efficient contribution to mitigating the consequences of natural disasters in neighboring countries, it further plays a very active role in promoting emergency management cooperation in South East Europe. 1 After describing the roles of the Agency, this paper presents major developments in implementing advanced information and communications technologies both in national and international setting. The recently signed Agreement on the establishment of the Civil-Military Emergency Planning Council for Southeastern Europe is given in the appendix.