Following the enactment of the 2016 amendment to the eGovernment Act, which mandated the use of open source software in public administration, the adoption of open source solutions has not been as uniform as anticipated. While some government departments have complied with these requirements, the report also highlights the challenges and complexities involved in implementing this legislation. While the commitment to promoting open source remains consistent in government policy, the actual utilisation of open source solutions in administrative functions remains limited.
Nonetheless, the report also underscores the active involvement of the open source community in Bulgaria, exemplified by projects such as the annual OpenFest, which has been running for two decades. Additionally, the impact of initiatives led by the "Society" association further demonstrates the presence of interesting projects that deserve attention and support.
Given recent reforms in the Bulgarian government's ministerial structure concerning digital affairs, it is expected that their approach to open source will evolve. The sustainability of their developer's portal and the continuation of their open source policy will be contingent upon the effective enforcement of the eGovernment Act.
You can read the report here. There is also a shorter factsheet with highlights from the report here.
We hope that you will enjoy this report. If you have any questions feel free to contact us at EU-OSOR@ec.europa.eu.
The OSOR team