A delegation from the European Parliament is on a visit to Bulgaria, the EP's press office in Sofia announced.

Members of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) visited Slovakia on 21-22 September and Bulgaria on 23-24 September. The purpose of this visit is to assess respect for the rule of law, as part of their ongoing monitoring of the situation across the EU.

The delegation includes Sophia In 'T Veld (Renew Europe Group, the Netherlands - chair of the delegation), Elena Yoncheva (S&D, Bulgaria), Clare Daly (The Left, Ireland), Vladimir Bilchik (EPP, Slovakia), Annalisa Tardino (ID, Italy), Patryk Jaki (ECR Group, Poland), Sergey Lagodinsky (Group of the Greens/EFA).

During their first visit to Bulgaria, LIBE members conducted meetings with various civil society organisations, journalists, as well as top government officials and state authorities.

On 24 September, they met with Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev, his deputies Daniela Masheva, Krasimira Filipova, Desislava Pironeva and the spokeswoman of the Prosecutor General's Office Siika Mileva at Sofia Court House. The purpose of the meeting, organised on the initiative of LIBE, was to discuss and receive information by MEPs on the rule of law in Bulgaria. In the course of discussions, legal order and judicial reform, functioning and powers of the Prosecutor's Office and the Prosecutor General in the Bulgarian judicial system, fight against corruption, as well as investigations in cases of high public and media interest, were discussed. The Prosecutor's Office has expressed readiness for continuing the bilateral dialogue with representatives of the EP, as well as for providing additional information related to the legal order in Bulgaria and other issues of mutual interest.

Later in the afternoon, the delegation gave a press conference at the House of Europe in Sofia./Europost