legislative system and regulation, formation of grey and black economy and reconciliation of society. In the years of ongoing negotiations for entering into the EU alliance, countering organized crime and high-level corruption are legitimately defined by the European Commission as the areas where progress to integration is most lacking. That observation and the related requirement for quick and effective reforms attracted the attention of both public authorities and the non-governmental sector. New approaches were identified, quite new methodologies were adopted, and new forms of partnership emerged. “In the last decade, the establishment of public-private partnerships as an effective model has been a positive step towards tackling organized crime. The non-governmental sector has provided a platform for a debate free of partisanship and inter-institutional strife. Furthermore, state institutions have the chance to open to the community and gradually strengthen the democratic transparency. Yet, there is much more to be done in terms of establishing a new culture of open and accountable administration and governance. The relatively new experience of public-private partnership has survived the initial skepticism and revealed the availability and potential of sound expertise, particularly in the monitoring and assessment of organized crime markets and trends. Partnership, though, needs to go further and contribute to the acceleration of institutional developments, as well as advanced policymaking and practice, aspiring to emulate the best European models”112. Since its accession to the EU, Bulgaria has made a great progress in this complicated issue. A number of legislative acts have been adopted, new strategies and programmes have been prepared and run into process. Ambitious progress indicators have been set and monitored regularly by the European Commission. The activity of special police units on organized crime, like GD BOP, has become more public and thus raised up social trust in the parliament and its activity in favor of the public good. The active policy and implementation of defined measures is still ongoing. In 2012 and 2013 state authorities adopted some new policies and made amendments in regulatory acts through which to prevent and combat the organized crime. For example in the beginning of 2012 a Law on Forfeiture of the State of Illegally Acquired Property was adopted and an independent specialized unit – Commission on Forfeiture of Illegally Acquired Property was formed. Some reforms in the structure of General Directorates aiming at prevention and combat of organized crime were also made. All these aim to develop more efficient basis for the identification and combat organized crime. The 2014 Report from the European Commission on the progress of Bulgaria under the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism, published in January, 2015 points out that “organized crime remains a
112
Ibidem. 82