Parliament delegation to discuss child protection and childcare in Bulgaria

Employment and Social Affairs Committee MEPs are going to Bulgaria to meet with non-governmental organisations and national authorities and to visit facilities for children and families.

Three MEPs from Parliament’s Employment and Social Affairs Committee will be in Bulgaria from 7 to 9 January 2026. The delegation will be led by Estelle Ceulemans (S&D, BE) and joined by Hristo Petrov (Renew, BG) and Valérie Devaux (Renew, FR).

On Wednesday 7 January, MEPs will attend presentations about Bulgaria’s childcare system reform and will meet with representatives of non-governmental organisations and UNICEF. The following day, they will travel to Pazardzhik for field visits to social services facilities for children and families and for children with disabilities. In the afternoon, the delegation will have meetings with national authorities on child protection. On Friday 9 January, MEPs will conduct field visits around Sofia to a facility on transitional housing for young people that helps young people aged between 14 and 18, notably refugee children and victims of trafficking.