Employers, unions, civic groups, lawmakers and ministers meet today in the Granite Hall of the council of ministers to discuss whether Bulgaria needs a social support code, or at least a road map for writing one. The Economic and Social Council (ESC) and the labour ministry announced the discussion.

The public consultation starts at 9:30 a.m. Deputy prime minister and finance minister Galab Donev is expected to take part, along with labour and social policy minister Natalia Efremova. The labour ministry and the council of ministers asked the ESC to lead the debate.

Participants will try to work out how far the future code should reach, which laws should be merged into it, and how different kinds of support should link up with each other. They will also discuss how public money flows through the social system and what changes it needs to cope with crises and shifts in the economy.

The talks will also look at the risks of bringing all social legislation together into one code, and what would happen to the size of social payments. At the end, participants will set out the problems still unsolved and the next steps toward a better-connected system.

Organisers say the debate builds on opinions and analysis the ESC has already drawn up, which point to a need for better coordination between the different parts of the system. The ESC says these documents came out of talks between employer groups, unions and civic organisations.

Organisers say support should follow a few basic rules. It should be enough to live on, reach people in need on time, and be clear and open. The system also has to be affordable to keep running in the years ahead.

The council's recommendations have already made their way into national law, including in the overhaul of the minimum income system, the ESC notes.