All EU funds must be spent with respect for fundamental rights. The EU spends billions of euros on creating jobs, economic growth, sustainable development and improving people's lives. To prevent spending in a way that directly violates fundamental human rights, in 2021 the EU introduced horizontal enabling conditions linked to the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The present report examines how these conditionalities are being met in Bulgaria during the new funding cycle of 2021 – 2027 and analyses the potential role of national human rights institutions in this process.

The full report is available on the website of the Ombudsman here.