On 19 May 2026, the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy unveiled a draft bill proposing significant amendments to the Law on Protection Against Discrimination (the “Draft Bill”). This initiative seeks to align Bulgarian legislation with Directive (EU) 2023/970, which champions pay transparency and guarantees equal pay for women and men performing equal work or work of equal value.

The Draft Bill introduces a robust framework to drive pay transparency, empower employees with greater access to remuneration information, and impose new requirements on employers regarding recruitment, remuneration policies, internal reporting, and gender pay gap monitoring. It also sets out clear enforcement mechanisms and sanctions to uphold the principle of equal pay.

This newsletter outlines the most important aspects of the Draft Bill to guide employers preparing to navigate these upcoming changes.