Up to now the studies and research work performed under the programme entitled: “Student Internships for Legislative Research” of the National assembly had supported 163 projects and had involved more than 300 students. The announcement was made by the chair of the National assembly Tsetska Tsacheva during the certificate awarding of the participants in the current year’s programme.

21 young people received the diploma. Each of them had participated in 3 research projects requested by either parliamentary committees or parliamentary groups, or deputies. 

During the last year the programme’s interns have been involved in more than 10 studies concerning healthcare or educational issues. The researches were consecrated to matters like: “Institutional origins and political development of the parliamentary cooperation in Southeast Europe”, “Legislative regulation of the school mediation in the EU Member Countries”, “Legal framework of the use of stem cells in Bulgaria and the European Union”, “Anti-trust legislation in the EU Member Countries”, “Management of the secondary education in the Member Countries of the EU”.

The chair of the National assembly noted that the Bulgarian parliament needed the talent, minds and energy of young and educated Bulgarians. She pointed out that the institution of the National Assembly was the place where young, motivated people could start their carriers still at the student bench and stressed how important their research work was for the members of parliament.

The students programmme for legislative research was established at 1999 with the aim to provide information and help to the legislative process as well as to create opportunities for professional development and growth of young talents in the public sector.

The recruitment of interns is carried through competition. The number of approved candidates in 2011 was 22. The number of candidates who applied to the programme for 2012 was 51, approved were 46. The data shows that the interest in the legislative research programme is growing. The latter allows participation of undergraduate students, in their forth and last year of studies, of graduates and of young professionals. 75 % of the interns are law students or law graduates and 25% specialists in international relations, politics and public administration. The candidates have to be proficient orally and in writing in at least one foreign language and have to be computer literate.

The legislative research carried out by the students is directly connected to the legislative process of the parliament and serves the drawing of draft legal documents, new bills, amendments and supplements to existing acts. Every study performed by the programme summarizes analytically an immense volume of information on a specific topic.

The greatest part of the participants in the “Student Internships for Legislative Research “ programme have afterwards successful careers as lawyers, experts at different institutions or as educational staff in universities.