Along with the administrative breakdown of cultural competence, there are interdepartmental commissions that co-ordinate the central government’s activities. Culture is just part of the general competence of these commissions, which have been set up for other fields such as education, foreign policy, youth, tourism, and ecology. There are standing and interim interdepartmental commissions that have consultative capacities and the right to initiate legislation. There is a consultative Council on Cultural Affairs which reports to the President of the Republic.
Since 1997, the National Council for Ethnic and Demographic Issues (NCEDI, now the National Council for Cooperation on Ethnic and Demographic Issues), within the Council of Ministers, has operated as a state and public body. According to Article 1 of the NCEDI’s regulations, the aim of NCEDI is “implementation of consultations and cooperation and coordination between the government structures and non-government organisations, aiming at the formation and realisation of a national policy regarding ethnic and demographic issues and migration”. In 2004, the NCEDI was transformed into the National Council for Interethnic Interaction.
Ad-hoc inter-ministerial groups are established in relation to different projects, programmes and national initiatives – e.g. Project Implementation Units (PIU) for EU funded programmes, National Committees, National Councils and working groups.
The National Council on the Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage was established in 2006. The Council on Cultural Diversity was also established in 2006 and is mainly in charge of integration of minorities. The Inter-ministerial Advisory Group on the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue was established in April 2007.
An inter-ministerial/intergovernmental working group for digitalisation of cultural heritage (cultural content) was set up at the end of 2008. Its members are representatives from the Ministry of Culture, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, The University Library, National Historical Museum, and the Archives National Agency. In 2009, an inter-ministerial/intergovernmental working group on cultural statistics was set up. Its members are representatives of the Ministry of Culture and the National Statistical Institute and some other agencies such as the Observatory of Cultural Economics.
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