1. MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND SOCIAL POLICY BULGARIA

2. Bulgarian National Poverty Reduction and Social Exclusion Strategy, Action Plan, Joint Inclusion Memoranda and National Programme “From Social Assistance to Employment”

3. Millennium Development Goal Report Following Bulgaria’s commitments as a signatory to the UN Millennium Declaration of September 2000. Set of eight MDGs to be achieved by 2015.

4. Millennium Development Goals: 1. Halve extreme poverty and malnutrition; 2. Improve primary and secondary education; 3. Promote gender equality and empower women; 4. Reduce child mortality; 5. Improve maternal health; 6. Limit the spread HIV/AIDS, Syphilis and Tuberculosis; 7. Ensure environmental sustainability; 8. Develop partnership for development.

5. National Poverty Reduction and Social Exclusion Strategy 2003 – 2006 Adopted by the Council of Ministers on 6 th of October 2003. General goal of the Strategy - reducing poverty and preventing the risk of social exclusion. The Strategy has accepted as its strategic goals the goals, adopted by the Member states.

6. Action Plan to Combat Poverty and Social Exclusion 2004 Adopted by the Council of Ministers on 19 th of January 2004. Operational tool for implementing the Strategy in short-term period. Takes into account the MDG as defined in the Millennium Declaration.

7. The Joint Inclusion Memoranda Main key challenges:  Developing an inclusive labour market;  Tackling educational disadvantages;  Housing;  Improving delivery of services;  Social services;  Regenerating areas of multiple deprivation;  Healthcare;  Transportation.

8. National Programme “From Social Assistance to Employment” Beneficiaries (Target groups): -long-term unemployed, who benefit from monthly social assistance allowances in an active age; -unemployed, who permanently look after disabled and seriously ill persons in an active age; -up to 20% of the persons are long-term unemployed, skilled workers who do not benefit from social assistance allowances.

9. Activities under the Programme: training and literacy courses; community services; urban works; maintenance and protection of municipal and state property; maintenance and protection of the environment; maintenance and protection of cultural heritage; industrial activities; social activities; the Personal Assistant service, and other activities.

10. Outcomes for 2003: Employed under the programme - 117 761 people; Dropped out from the social assistance system - more than 74 000 persons and families; Overcoming of social exclusion; Improved literacy and vocational training of long term unemployed; Earn money/income/ instead of social benefits.

11. Involved institutions and partners: - Ministry of Labour and Social Policy; -Employment Agency; -Agency for Social Assistance; -Local authorities; -Public and private employers; - NGO’s and others.