September 3, 2009

The National Assembly adopted at its meeting on September 3, 2009, on first reading, amendments to the Vocational Education and Training Act.
The amendments allow students trained in 12th grade in the school year 2009-2010 in an occupation with a third level of qualification to complete their studies by correspondence or another form of self education during the 2010-2011 school year.Up to now they had to go through a 13th grade in order to be qualified for the final diploma.
The changes are introduced, due to the curtailing of the 13th year of education, previously adopted for such schools and the impossibility to cover in one year all the curricula, scheduled for 12th and 13th grade. The mover of the bill – the Council of Ministers, explains in the motives that otherwise it could have the negative effect of students not being prepared enough to pass the theoretical and practical state exams to acquire a degree of professional qualification.

The Commission for disclosure of documents and announcing affiliation of Bulgarian citizens to the State security and Intelligence services of the Bulgarian People's Army has verified 6205 Bulgarian citizens during the period from December 20, 2008 to July 20, 2009. This data is shown in the report of the Commission, approved by parliament.

MPs elected a special committee to audit the Annual report of the National Audit Office for 2008. The deadline for the report to be submitted at the National Assembly was set at October 30, 2009.

The National Assembly adopted the Internal Rules of the parliamentary Commitee on the Control of the State Agency for National Security (SANS). The rules authorize the committee to monitor the spending of the allocated budget resources of the Agency, and to exercise control over the structure, composition and wages in the SANS. The rules provide that lawmakers will be able to exercise full control over already completed files and operations of the Agency, as well as to verify whether currently held operations comply with the law and the Internal rules of the SANS. The Rules foresee the exercise of parliamentary scrutiny on the legality and appropriateness of the Agency’s actions, based on the existing strategic documents on national security and the international treaties, signed by the country.

The National Assembly adopted next a resolution imposing moratorium on the change of use of forests and forest lands acquired by individuals and legal entities through swaps with forests and lands - private state property. The only exception allowed refers to municipalities. The measure is to be applied until the amendments in the respective legal acts come into effect.