Structural regulations of
MTITC in the field of ICT responsible
Deputy
Minister
Mr.Parvan
Rusinov
The rules for the Ministry of Transport Information
Technology and Communications (MTITC) are ordered in a document called Structural regulations, adopted by Council of
Ministers where is stated that The Minister of Transport
Information Technology and Communications (Mr.Ivajlo
Moskovski) implements the state policy on information technology and electronic communications to develop the information society as well as the state policy on e-governance and postal services.
According to the MTITC Structural regulations a Deputy Minister is responsible for Information Technology and Communications.
Three directorates are working in this field: Information
Technology, E-governance and Communications.
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Information
Technology
Directorate
The Information Technology Directorate consists of 3 Departments:
Information Society Policy and Development Department;
Information Society Technologies Department as well as the
Project Management Department.
IT Directorate shall:
 elaborate a state policy for development of information society and play a coordinating role in relation to other ministries and agencies in conducting the policy;
 elaborate strategies and programmes in the information society technology area and coordinate the state policy with the EU policy;
 develop, coordinate and monitor the implementation of programmes and development of information society and information technology covered by the budget of the ministry, international financial institutions, pre-and EU Structural Funds;
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 support policy development of favourable Internet environment for businesses and citizens, including the agreed regulatory framework defines critical infrastructure, conducts awareness campaigns, assisting in the implementation of new
Internet technologies and protocols representing the country in the international organizations;
IT Directorate is developing and maintains contacts with
Bulgarian IT business for the determination of state policy in the information society, supports it with information, promoting international level and to build public-private partnerships.
The e-governance directorate shall develop policy and strategies on e-governance building and development.
The Communications Directorate shall elaborate and update electronic communications policy.
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Bulgarian
Strategic
Documents
The policy of the Republic of Bulgaria in the field of the
Information Society is a horizontal policy and covers a set of documents for the period 2007-2013:
 National Reform Programme - provides medium-term framework of measures and priorities in the field of macro-and micro-economic development, labor and human capital development, aimed at achieving the objectives of the renewed EU
Lisbon Strategy.
 National Development Plan - defines the vision, strategic objectives and national development priorities and the necessary financial resources and institutional framework.
 National Strategic Reference Framework - describes the role of Structural Funds for 2007-2013 and policy priorities for development of Bulgaria.
 Operational Programmes(OPs ) - give development strategy for the priority sectors such as information and communication technologies (ICTs) which are embodied as a horizontal priority in each of them.
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Development of the
Competitiveness of the
Bulgarian
Economy 2007-
2013
Development of the Competitiveness of the Bulgarian
Economy 2007-2013 – supports innovative companies in ICT and deployment of ICT based products and solutions in the industry. Operational Programme "Development of the
Competitiveness of the Bulgarian Economy" is one of the seven operational programmes under the National Strategic Reference
Framework for the period 2007-2013. This operational programme will be funded by the European Regional
Development Fund and co-financed from the national budget.
The total amount of the public resources is around 1,1 bill. euro.
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Related
Operational
Programmes
 Under its Priority Axis 1 "Development of knowledge-based economy and innovation activities" Operational Programme
"Development of the Competitiveness of the Bulgarian
Economy" supports development of research infrastructure and applied research for the enterprises.
 “Human Resources Development” Operational
Programme is a strategic document which will act as a framework for absorption of funds, co-financed jointly by the
European Social Fund of the EU and the national budget during the programming period 2007 – 2013 - supports the implementation of ICT based products and solutions in the
Bulgarian education and increasing ICT literacy of the laborforce.
 Operational Programme “Administrative Capacity” provides additional funding for e-government development.
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Strategic documents
National strategy for the development of broadband access in
the Republic of Bulgaria 2009-2013 - was adopted by the Council of
Ministers on 25 November 2009. It outlines the vision, objectives and trends of roll-out, affordability and promotion of broadband access in the country as a key factor for overcoming the “broadband divide” between the individual regions. The strategy defines realistic goals for maximum coverage, reliable connectivity, high speeds (above 1 Mb/s), affordability for the end-users and covers the period 2010-2013. The expected results include development and implementation of projects for deployment of broadband access to the inhabitants of scarcelypopulated and remote regions.
The Strategy will be implemented by phases, and in the initial period 2010-2011 projects will be launched that will be funded primarily by the Regional Development Operational Programme that has allocated 40 million lv. for that purpose. Funding is also provided by the Rural Region Development Programme.
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Strategic documents
The National Roadmap for Research Infrastructure 2011-
2020 adopted 2010 by the Council of Ministers envisage development of 7 large research complexes. One of them is
Bulgarian Supercomputing Center (BSC) of Executive Agency
"Electronic Communication Networks and Information Systems”
(ECNIS) at the Ministry of Transport Information Technology and
Communications (MTITC), a high performance computing facility supporting research in different scientific disciplines.
PRACE is other supported complex under this road map. The project has been validated from Ministry of Transport,
Information Technology and Communications and will be coordinated by it.
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Strategic documents
Common Strategy for eGovernment in Bulgaria 2011-2015, adopted 2010. The e-government in Bulgaria is an element of the transition from industrial to information society and is a tool to increase the competitive ability of the Bulgarian economy and to improve the whole business climate. It is a process of change that allows extending the possibilities of citizens and businesses for participation in a new knowledge-based economy.
The main role of the e-government is to meet the needs of society of quality and easily accessible administrative services. Egovernment is a key instrument for the implementation of a comprehensive administrative reform, ensuring elimination of corruption practices and creating conditions for transparency and establishing better environment for economic development and quality of life. E-governance is recognized as a national priority by all political forces.
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Structural Funds and ICT Horizontal Priority – Information
Society
Information
Society
Policy in
Bulgaria  Establishment of ICT infrastructure which to provide secure and high-speed Internet;
 Creation of favourable business environment for e-business development;
 Provision of quality e-content for education;
 Provision of opportunities and incentives for lifelong learning and flexible forms of employment.
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National
Programme for
Accelerated
Information
Society
Development
(2008-2010)
National Programme for Accelerated Information Society
Development (2008-2010)
Impact
ICT Infrastructure and
Security
Society and Culture
ICT networking and affordability
Economy and
Employment
Research & Technology
Development
Education and Training
Quality of life and competitiveness
Human capital
Branding of ICT sector
Information Society for all
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Digital
Agenda
(2010-2020)
The action areas of the Digital Agenda (2010-2020)
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Europe 2020
Implementing the European Strategy "Europe 2020" and one of its 7 initiatives - Digital European Agenda – a Working
Group is set up to develop a National Programme "Digital
Bulgaria 2015", which is expected to be adopted by the end of 2011.
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Financial
Instruments of EU
Financial Instruments of EU
7th Framework
Programme
Competitiveness and
Innovation Framework
Programme
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Framework
Programmes of the
European
Community
Framework Programmes of the European Community EC are the main instruments at European level to implement "Digital
Agenda for Europe" to build a digital economy by 2020.
There are 3 main pillars: research, technological
development and innovation. The Digital Agenda is
Europe's strategy for a flourishing digital economy by 2020.
European Commission (EC) invites the Member States of the
European Union (EU) by 2020 to double the annual total public spending on research and technological development in ICT of 5.5 billion EUR per 11 billion EUR (including funds under the Framework Programmes EC) and to engage in large-scale projects in areas of public interest.
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Seventh
Framework
Programme
( FP7 )
The Seventh Framework Programme (FP7), is the main instrument for funding scientific research and technological development over the period 2007 to 2013 . IT bundles all research-related EU initiatives together under a common roof playing a crucial role in reaching the Lisbon agenda goals of growth, competitiveness and employment. The broad objectives of FP7 have been grouped into four categories: Cooperation, Ideas, People and Capacities. For each type of objective, there is a specific programme corresponding to the main areas of EU research policy. All specific programmes work together to promote and encourage the creation of European poles of (scientific) excellence.
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Seventh
Framework
Programme
( FP7 )
The main specific programme Cooperation includes 9 research themes that are critical to improve the competitiveness of European industry and to meet the demands of its society and economy. The largest one of theme is Information and
Communication Technologies (ICT) with a total buget of € 9.1
billion over the duration of FP7. The objective of ICT research is to improve the competitiveness of European industry - as well as to enable Europe to master and shape the future developments of these technologies so that the demands of its society and
economy are met. Ministry of transport, information technology and communications is a coordinator for this theme. Ministry of
Education, Youth and Science is a national coordinator of the whole
FP 7.
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Seventh
Framework
Programme
( FP7 )
FP7 research activities will strengthen Europe's scientific and technology base and ensure its global leadership in ICT, help drive and stimulate product, service and process innovation and creativity through ICT use and ensure that
ICT progress is rapidly transformed into benefits for
Europe's citizens, businesses, industry and governments.
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ICT Policy
Support
Programme
(ICT PSP)
The ICT Policy Support Programme (ICT PSP) under the
Competitiveness and Innovation Programme (CIP) aims at stimulating innovation and competitiveness through the wider uptake and best use of ICT by citizens, governments and businesses, particularly Small and Medium-sized Enterprises.
The ICT policy support programme will help overcome the hurdles hindering the wider and better use of ICT in high growth sectors of public interest like health, inclusion or public administrations. Hurdles include the unavailability of innovative ICT-based services, the lack of interoperability of solutions across the Member States, as well as the fragmentation of relevant ICT-based products and services markets. Ministry of transport, information technology and communications is a national coordinator for this programme.
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Who can participate?
Bulgarian participants - companies from the ICT sector, universities, institutes of BAS, government institutions and
NGOs – submit their proposals to the European Commission, according to the Call for Proposal deadlines and dedicated work programme. They do this within a consortium consisting of organizations from different EU Member States and other countries associated to the programme as well as
Member of the European Economic Area, countries of the
Western Balkan region and Turkey. Under certain conditions third parties can participate too. Proposals are evaluated by the European Commission with the assistance of independent experts and the best of them are funded. The basic rule is proposal to demonstrate "European added value“ and economic and social benefits not only for the beneficiaries but also for the EU as a whole.
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Steering committees
Due to commitments made by the Ministry of transport, information technology and communications (MTITC) for
Implementation of Digital Agenda for Europe its representatives participate in the steering committees of these programmes. The committees are chaired by the
Information Society and Media Directorate General of the
European Commission.
National representatives of Bulgaria have to ensure effective participation of Bulgarian organizations interested in the programmes and to contribute optimum use of European funds.
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Information days and individual consultations
Bulgarian representatives and National contact points (NCPs) have been mandated to promote broad EU programmes and to provide expert support of the Bulgarian participants in them. In 2010 were held information days for all open calls under ICT PSP and FP 7 and more than 100 individual consultations. In 2011 we organized an information day devoted to the fifth call for proposals, based on ICT PSP Work
Programme 2011. The call was opened on 1 March until 1
June 2011 and currently we are holding individual consultations on it.
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Bulgarian participation
In 2009 it was agreed total funding for both programmes at the rate of 3.36 million EUR - 1.62 million EUR under the
FP 7 "Information and communication technologies" and
1.74 million EUR under the ICT PCP. In 2010, experts from
MTITC helped to negotiate a total funding of 4.013 million
EUR - 3.383 million EUR under the FP 7 "Information and communication technologies" and 630 thousand EUR under the ICT PCP. In addition it was agreed finance - 523
thousand EUR under the "Science in Society” of the FP 7, in which coordination MTITC is also involved with MEYS.
Projects implementation has started, the funding is granted in stages by the European Commission.
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Bulgarian participation
In completed this year evaluation of the Seventh call of the
"Information and communication technologies” FP 7, the results for the Bulgarian participants were 1 955 million
EUR requested funding in proposals, admitted to negotiations. It is expected that negotiations with the consortiums and the European Commission will complete up to 2 months.
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Benefits of participation
The benefits of participation in the programmes of the EC are expressed not only in direct financial assistance from the EC, but also opportunities to build business partnerships, providing access to European and world markets and widespread dissemination of ICT-based innovative products and services in different economic and social sectors in
Bulgaria.
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How the
EU scores on the
Digital
Agenda targets
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Broadband
Broadband
Broadband take-up stands at 15% as a percentage of overall population in Bulgaria. Take-up is on the increase, but not quickly enough to catch up with the rest of Europe (26.6%).This translates into both low take-up by households and businesses. There is a positive trend in the development of broadband speeds: Bulgaria is above EU average in the percentage of broadband Internet subscriptions with 98% of at least 2 Mb/s download speeds. This suggests that Bulgaria is leapfrogging the narrowband and slow broadband stages in connecting to the Internet. In terms of wireless technologies, Bulgaria’s performance is similar to that for fixed broadband.
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eGovernment eGovernment
In 2010 availability of eGovernment services was still below the average although it made substantial progress in the last year, especially in services for citizens (67% availability for citizens and 75% for businesses). However, take-up by of eGovernment services by both citizens and businesses remains low (at 24% and 64% respectively).
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Internet usage
Internet usage
Rates of Internet usage have been gradually improving over the last few years. Nevertheless, Internet take-up in Bulgaria is still very low, and over half (51%) of the population has never used the Internet. Usage of Internet services is correspondingly low.
The most popular services are similar to those throughout the EU: looking up information on goods and services. Downloading, listening to or watching music and/or films is also a very popular activity. eCommerce has not yet fully taken off with Bulgaria being at the bottom of the EU rankings (5.1% of population).
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Telecoms regulatory issues
Telecoms regulatory issues
The Government endorsed an electronic communications policy programme which sets out priorities and measures for legislation, spectrum management, broadband roll-out and next-generation networks, standardisation, digital switchover and consumer rights.
In February 2011, the Bulgarian telecoms regulator (the
Communications Regulation Commission- CRC) adopted remedies for the wholesale broadband markets. The 900 MHz and 1800 MHz frequency bands have been re-farmed to allow use of 3G mobile technology. Consumers could benefit from the introduction of onestop-shop number portability, which has decreased the time needed for porting fixed and mobile numbers.
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Hristina Dobreva
Anelia Dimova hdobreva@mtitc.government.bg
adimova@mtitc.government.bg
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