-Discrimination Watchdog Reports Significant Increase of Proceedings in 2025

In 2025, the Commission for Protection against Discrimination (CPD) registered a significant increase in cases, initiating 518 proceedings to ensure protection against discrimination, a notable rise compared to the 179 proceedings filed in 2024, according to CPD Chair Elka Bozhova in Montana on Monday. The Commission subsequently issued decisions concerning 418 of these cases. Bozhova indicated that the most common complaints received by the CPD related to discrimination within the employment sector, particularly instances where employers reportedly failed to adhere to collective labor agreements.

Furthermore, reports concerning hate speech were filed regarding televised and media statements made by politicians. In addition to these areas, efforts were focused on physical accessibility. Under the Accessible Bulgaria campaign, numerous inspections were conducted on publicly significant buildings within the Montana Region, leading to 62 proceedings concerning the accessible architectural environment in 2025.

In most documented instances, building owners have since implemented necessary measures to improve access for people with disabilities. To bolster preventative measures, a three-day professional development seminar is currently taking place in Montana. CPD lecturers are training civil servants from the town and the region.

The goal of the training is to equip these officials to recognize potential cases of discrimination and properly guide individuals to the CPD representation service. As part of this intensive training, participants are adopting the role of experts tasked with determining whether actual discrimination has occurred in specific scenarios, thereby strengthening the overall protection framework.

Topics: #discrimination #proceedings #protection