Topical Information

AI, digitalization, and new legislative changes at the center of the NAMRB Standing Committee on Digital and Innovative Administration meeting

On 29 April in Sofia, the spring meeting of the Standing Committee on Digital and Innovative Administration at the National Association of Municipalities in the Republic of Bulgaria (NAMRB) was held. Representatives of local and central authorities discussed key topics related to digital transformation, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity in municipalities.

The event was opened by NAMRB Executive Director Silvia Georgieva, who outlined the main challenges facing local authorities and emphasized the importance of the topics on the agenda.

“This is our most modern committee. The topics in today’s meeting are very interesting, and we ourselves realize how important they are,” she said, also highlighting the dynamic legislative changes in recent months related to commitments under the Recovery and Resilience Plan.

“We are set to discuss legislation that was fast-tracked over the past three months due to agreed parameters with the European Commission for the third payment under the Recovery and Resilience Plan. Despite the rapid adoption of the legislation, we have not yet fully realized the scale of the challenges ahead,” Georgieva added.

In the first part of the meeting, participants discussed recent legislative changes, focusing on new requirements for transparency in interest representation and their impact on municipal work. The growing role of artificial intelligence in administration was also addressed, along with the need to build capacity for its implementation. A good practice example was presented by the Municipality of Vratsa, which has introduced a virtual assistant for citizens.

The second part of the meeting focused on cybersecurity, which is increasingly recognized as a governance responsibility in municipalities. Discussions also covered the full digitalization of administrative services and the need for better inter-institutional coordination and development of e-services.

The panel discussions were moderated by Neli Staykova, Secretary of the Committee and Senior Expert “Municipal Administration” at NAMRB.

Plamen Petrov, legal advisor at NAMRB, presented the main requirements of the Law on Transparency and Representation of Interests, emphasizing the need for internal rules and compliance with new administrative deadlines. He explained that the law regulates influence over administrative decisions and affects key municipal acts such as budgets, introducing a transparency register and ethical rules for interactions with external stakeholders.

A representative of the Ministry of e-Government, Stoyan Tsonev, highlighted the ministry’s future role as a supervisory body regarding the implementation of artificial intelligence in public administration. According to him, municipalities already use chatbots and other AI solutions, but the lack of a clear regulatory framework creates risks and requires swift action by the state.

“The role we see for the Ministry of e-Government is precisely oversight when public administration implements artificial intelligence,” said Tsonev, Head of the “Programming, Evaluation and Contracting” Department in the “Programme Management” Directorate.

He added that guidelines for the ethical use of AI in administration are being developed, with a focus on data protection and risk mitigation. It is important to clarify how public administration can use AI and what types of data may be processed, he stressed.

Tsonev also warned that employees should not input personal or sensitive information—including public procurement data—into public AI systems, due to the risk of data storage outside the country.

In this context, the Chair of the Committee and Secretary of Troyan Municipality, Tsvetelina Kalcheva, shared her municipality’s experience, where the team developed internal guidelines for AI use. She noted that discussions focused on what should be encouraged and what should be avoided to ensure responsible and safe use of AI in daily administrative work.

A practical example of AI application was presented by the Municipality of Vratsa, where a virtual assistant helps citizens find necessary documents and administrative services based on their needs, aiming to improve access and reduce administrative burden.

Miroslav Petrov, Executive Director of Lead Vision, emphasized that AI is already an inevitable part of modern processes and is rapidly expanding across sectors. He compared its impact to the adoption of mobile phones, which were once new but are now ubiquitous.

He added that such systems can provide multilingual information and significantly ease administrative service delivery, as a single AI assistant can cover a wide range of services that would be difficult for one employee to handle.

Similar solutions are already used in other municipalities. Participants from Bansko Municipality shared their experience of implementing a chatbot over the past year to assist users on their official website by providing information on required documents and procedures.

Cybersecurity was presented by experts from the Ministry of e-Government, who emphasized new requirements and responsibilities for municipalities. It was highlighted that cybersecurity is no longer just a technical issue but a key governance element.

Following amendments to the Cybersecurity Act in February 2026, municipalities are now classified as essential entities, leading to higher requirements for risk management, incident reporting, and security controls.

The new framework emphasizes the role of mayors in approving and overseeing cybersecurity measures, including risk analysis, incident response, business continuity, and system security.

New incident response deadlines were highlighted: early warning within 24 hours, initial assessment within 72 hours, and a final report within one month. The Ministry of e-Government will oversee compliance.

Solutions such as Google Cloud CyberShield, Shodan, and Rapid7 Threat Complete Advanced were presented as tools for improving municipal cybersecurity. Training for network and information security experts was also highlighted as essential for capacity building.

In discussions on administrative digitalization, it was announced that from 1 July 2026 amendments to the Administrative Procedure Code will come into force, making electronic case files mandatory and legally recognized as official documents.

Experts explained that the new rules will streamline processes, including handling irregularities in applications. Electronic delivery will become mandatory for administrative bodies, while citizens will be able to choose between paper and electronic communication.

Documents will be considered delivered upon download by the recipient, or automatically after seven days if not accessed.

The discussion also presented “Co-create Sofia” as a good practice for collaboration between business, innovators, and administration, aimed at increasing competition in public procurement and improving engagement with businesses.

Deputy Mayor of Sofia Ivan Goychev noted that low competition in procurement procedures is a key issue, often due to limited awareness or complex requirements. The initiative promotes joint definition of conditions to enable broader participation.

The role of Bulgarian Posts as an intermediary in providing administrative and electronic services was also discussed. The service, available in over 2,000 post offices, helps citizens—especially in smaller settlements—access administrative services, including through secure electronic delivery systems.

Finally, Eng. Goranov presented the activities of the Sofia SAT Club and opportunities for using satellite data in municipal governance. The club operates a network of satellite stations and data processing systems used for monitoring natural phenomena such as fires and floods, as well as urban development.

A proposal was made for municipalities to participate in pilot projects by establishing local stations tailored to their specific needs.