1. This document has been created with the financial support of the Norwegian Financial Mechanism 2009-2014. The National Institute of Justice carries full liability for its content. Under no circumstances whatsoever may it be assumed that this document presents an official position of the Programme Operator or the Donor.

2.  Duration: February 2013 – October 2015  791 magistrates trained on human rights and practices so far (expected 841 by the end of the project)  25 seminars and 2 workshops held so far; 2 seminars still to be organised by the end of the project  2 editions of the Forum on Justice and Human Rights held for 183 participants  5 study visits (1 to Norway and 4 to CoE/ECtHR) for 46 magistrates and NIJ experts organised  3 books prepared; publication is pending

3.  Guarantees of the right to property. Limitations of the right of the state to interfere in the enjoyment of the right to property (Article 1 of Protocol No. 1 to the Convention), 31 March – 2 April 2015, Plovdiv – 26 magistrates  International law, national law and the European Convention on Human Rights, 12 – 14 May 2015, Sliven – 21 magistrates  The systemic place of ECHR in the Bulgarian law. Obligation of the state for effective domestic remedies. Applying the ECtHR case-law in domestic civil and administrative proceedings, 26 – 28 May 2015, Albena – 31 magistrates  The right to free movement. Interaction between EU law and Protocol No. 4 to the Convention, 3 – 5 June 2015, Blagoevgard – 39 magistartes  Guarantees for the protection against discrimination, 17 – 19 June 2015, Arbanassi

4.  Conditions of Imprisonment and Mechanisms under the State and Municipality Liability for Damage Act as an effective domestic remedy in the Light of Article 13 of the Convention. Substantial and Procedural Aspects of Article 3 of the Convention (prohibition of torture, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment), 24 – 26 June 2015, Sofia  ECHR’s systemic place in the Bulgarian legal framework. Duty to provide effective domestic remedies. Application of ECtHR case-law in the work of domestic courts in criminal proceedings, 8 – 10 July 2015, Sofia.

5. The last study visit to the Council of Europe and the Court’s Grand Chamber was organised in the period from 31 March to 2 April 2015. Seven magistrates and two NIJ experts took part in the study visit. They had a series of meetings at the Council of Europe and attended the hearing before the Grand Chamber in the case of Biao. v. Denmark (application no. 38590/10) concerning refusal to grant family reunion to a Danish citizen and his foreign wife on grounds of stronger ties with the foreign country.

6. The second annual Forum on Justice and Human Rights took place from 20 to 22 April 2015 in Sofia. Major focus: protection against discrimination: the interaction between international human rights and humanitarian law; the interplay between the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and the European Convention of Human Rights; innovative solutions for human rights protection. The Forum gathered more than 100 participants, including eight magistrates from EU Member States in the framework of the European Judicial Training Network.

7. The workshop took place from 19 to 21 May 2015 in Pravets. The international lecturer Mr Filippo Fontanelli from the Law School of the University of Edinburgh focused on the interplay between ECHR and EU Charter on Fundamental Rights. The civil panel focused on placement under partial guardianship, while the criminal panel dealt with the application of Articles 6 and 8 ECHR in national courts.

8.  A Handbook of summaries of ECtHR judgments, an updated Manual on judicial protection of human rights and the Practical Guide to Humanitarian Law, the first ever to be published in Bulgarian, are all ready to be published (public procurement for selection of publisher is going on at the moment).  Good progress on the Human Rights Portal (PdP no. 3 are the leading institution): service provider has been selected, and working meetings with the company and team members from PdP nos. 1 and 3 take place about the content of the Portal.

9. A scanner, server, UPS, 30 desktop computers and 30 laptops have been delivered. The technical equipment will facilitate the consolidation of training materials and will help build an accessible and user-friendly database in the field of human rights protection.

10.  Regular meetings of the project management team, individually and jointly with experts from Continuing Training of Magistrates Directorate to plan trainings and other project activities;  Change of technical assistant: Ms Kremena Haralanova, NIJ stepped in to replace Ms Hristina Peshterska;  Regular coordination with the Ministry of Justice.

11. Three public procurement procedures were conducted:  For logistics for the trainings under the project;  For translation and interpretation required for the trainings under the project; and  For publishing HR study materials and the Practical Guide on Humanitarian Law.

12.  One of the discussion panels of the Second Forum focused on the protection of vulnerable groups against discrimination;  One training for 30 magistrates on protection against discrimination (17 – 19 June 2015, Arbanassi).

13.  Questions & comments