Bulgaria Moves Conflict-of-Interest Checks to Anti-Corruption Commission

Bulgaria has transferred responsibility for receiving public officials' asset and interest declarations, handling conflict-of-interest complaints and carrying out corruption-prevention work from the National Audit Office to the country's Anti-Corruption Commission, effective 2 November 2026.

The National Audit Office confirmed the change in a notice dated 3 November. It said documents relating to these functions should now be addressed to the Commission for Counteracting Corruption (KPK), rather than the audit institution. The commission independently announced on 30 October that documents and complaints within its remit would be submitted to it starting on 2 November.

The change affects where public officials file declarations and where citizens or other complainants submit conflict-of-interest information. It is a transfer of administrative and oversight responsibilities, not a finding that any official has breached the law or that a particular complaint is substantiated.

What changed

In its 3 November statement, the National Audit Office specified three functions moving to the commission: corruption prevention, determination of conflicts of interest, and checks of declarations of assets and interests submitted by people holding public office. Its notice directed future submissions to the commission.

The commission's 30 October notice referred to the June 2026 law on counteracting corruption among people holding public positions. It said the relevant transition was tied to the appointment of the commission's chair and members and directed documents and signals relating to the covered activities to the commission from 2 November.

The commission's official website now presents forms and guidance for declarations, an electronic public register, records of final conflict-of-interest decisions and administrative-penalty information. Those services provide a way to inspect the institutional arrangement, but their availability alone does not establish whether existing complaints were transferred without delay or whether the commission has resolved any particular case.

Why the handover matters

Bulgaria's Audit Office had itself been collecting declarations and publishing registers earlier in 2026. Its August announcement said it had published more than 16,000 asset-and-interest declarations and a list of 637 people who had not filed within the statutory deadline. Those figures describe the earlier reporting period, not the new commission's performance.

The immediate public consequence is a new responsible body for filings and complaints. Questions for follow-up include whether pending cases and historical declaration records remain accessible, how outstanding conflict-of-interest reviews are handed over, and whether the commission reports processing times and decisions after the change.

Neither institution's notice alleges that the transition resulted from misconduct by the Audit Office. Nor do the notices establish that the transfer improves or weakens enforcement. That can be assessed only against subsequent case handling, disclosure access and published outcomes.