Bodies controlling the activity of spatial planning

The main bodies that control the activity of spatial planning in the Republic of Bulgaria are:

• The Minister of Regional Development and Public Works is the main figure in the Republic of Bulgaria, who directs the implementation of the state policy on spatial planning and exercises control over the overall activity. He appoints the National Expert Council on Spatial Planning and Regional Policy and supervises its work. At the request of the Minister of Defense, the Minister of Interior, the Chairman of the State Agency for National Security and other bodies of security and defense, he appoints specialized expert councils for spatial planning, which consider investment projects for special sites. The Minister of Regional Development and Public Works shall send for storage in the archives of the municipality copies of the entered into force acts issued by him within the scope of their powers under this law for sites on the territory of the respective municipality. It creates, develops and maintains the Unified Public Register on Spatial Planning on the website of the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works

• The regional governor is the centralized body that conducts the state policy for spatial planning in the respective district. He may appoint a regional expert council for spatial planning and organize his activity for the performance of the functions assigned to him by this law. The regional governors shall send for storage in the archives of the municipality copies of the entered into force acts, issued by them within the scope of their powers under this law, for sites on the territory of the respective municipality.
• The municipal councils and the mayors of the municipalities determine the policy and carry out activities for development on the territory of the respective municipality. In the municipalities and in the regions of the Sofia Municipality and in the cities with regional division, chief architects are appointed by labor or official legal relationship on the basis of a competition.
• The Chief Architect manages, coordinates and controls the activities for spatial planning, design and construction of the respective territory, issues administrative acts in accordance with the powers granted to him under this law. The chief architect of the municipality supervises the activity of the chief architects of the regions.
• The mayor of the municipality (region) appoints a municipal (district) expert council on spatial planning. He organizes the maintenance of an archive of the approved development plans and their amendments. The security and defense bodies send information to the municipalities about the special sites related to the defense and security of the country, according to the Law for protection of the classified information.
• The National Expert Council on Spatial Planning and Regional Policy, as well as the regional and municipal (regional) expert councils on Spatial Planning carry out consultative and expert activities. They also include specialists from outside the administration, representatives of professional organizations in the field of spatial planning, investment design and construction.