The OECD Council decided to open accession discussions with Bulgaria on 25 January 2022. On 10 June 2022, the Council adopted the Roadmap for the accession of Bulgaria to the OECD Convention [C/MIN(2022)25/FINAL] (the Roadmap) setting out the terms, conditions and process for accession to the OECD. The Roadmap provides that in order to allow the Council to take an informed decision on the accession of Bulgaria, Bulgaria will undergo in-depth reviews by the OECD technical committees listed in the Roadmap, including the Health Committee.
The background report that follows was prepared to support the accession review discussion of the Health Committee with Bulgaria. The report was prepared by Candan Kendir and José Manuel Jerez Pombo, health experts in the Health Division of the Directorate for Employment, Labour and Social Affairs (ELS) of the OECD and is accurate as of 2 March 2026.
The methodology employed for the preparation of this report combined desk-based research and data collection as well as on-site information gathering. In-person interviews with health officials, healthcare professionals, civil society, and other health experts were conducted in March 2025 during the OECD fact-finding mission to Bulgaria.
In accordance with paragraph 28 of the Roadmap and upon request of Bulgaria, the Health Committee agreed to declassify this report on 9 February 2026 and publish it under the authority of the Secretary-General, in order to allow a wider audience to become acquainted with its content. Publication of this document and the analysis and recommendations contained therein do not prejudge in any way the outcome of evaluations conducted as part of Bulgaria’s accession process to the OECD.