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Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Policy Zornitsa Rusinova presented the priorities of the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU in the field of employment and social policy to the American Chamber of Commerce. Deputy Minister Lazar Lazarov also took part in the meeting and presented to the participants in the meeting the government's priorities in the field of labour policies.

In her speech, Deputy Minister Rusinova pointed out that Bulgaria's ambition is to strike a balance between the specific priorities of the Member States and the EU's strategic priorities.

The central topics that Bulgaria will put on the agenda of European debates are the vision for the future of work and the identification of the exact skills and competencies for new jobs.

Deputy Minister Rusinova also put the emphasis on youth employment and better planning and linking policies in the field of education, training and employment.

The main focus of the Bulgarian Presidency will be the search for opportunities for support from the European Social Fund after the end of the 2014-2020 programming period. The aim is to improve employment opportunities, to find effective solutions to strengthen social inclusion, combat poverty, boost growth and guarantee sustainable jobs.

The priorities of the Bulgarian Presidency will include the policies for early childhood development and the integration of people with disabilities as full members of society.

Deputy Minister Lazarov acquainted the participants with the main aspects of government priorities in the field of labour, including the active employment policy and the relief of procedures for the import of third-country labour force for seasonal employment.

He pointed out that one of the MLSP priorities for next year is to conduct training tailored to the needs of employers. In order to prepare skilled workforce in 2018, the state budget for active labour market policy will fund training of not less than 11,000 unemployed.