1. Please provide information on the implementation of the Convention by the Courts. In what specific areas has it been invoked? (see para. 2 of the
State party report).

2. Please provide further information on any progress being made in the elaboration of a new law-making policy and strategy in the area of protecting
the rights of the child mentioned in para. 4 of the State party report. In this regard, please provide further information on any new legal codes or
amendments to previous laws which have been adopted in the spirit of the Convention since the submission of the report. Please also identify the
legislation that needs to be improved and submit a copy of the National Analyses and of the draft laws (see paras. 16 and 18 of the State party
report).

3. Please provide further information on the coordinating mechanism, in particular with regard to:

- the effectiveness of the Committee for Youth and Children in fulfilling its functions;
- involvement of non-governmental organizations within the coordination mechanism (paras. 20-23 of the State party report);
- coordination with new offices in municipal councils (see para. 18);
- planned machinery for coordinating action on behalf of the child, the development of child policy and monitoring the implementation of the
Convention. (see paras. 12, 17 and 19 of the State party report).

4. Is the Government considering the possibility of establishing an independent national institution such as an ombudsperson for children? What
role are the non-governmental organizations playing for the implementation of childrens rights?

5. Please provide more information about the implementation of article 4of the Convention with regard to the allocation "to the maximum extent of
(...) available resources" for the rights of the child, particularly for children belonging to the most disadvantaged groups, including Roma children
and children from single-parent families, in the light of the principles of the Convention, especially non-discrimination and best interests of the child.
If possible, indicate estimates of the expenditures for each of the clusters of child rights defined in the guidelines for States parties initial reports.

6. Please provide further information on programmes and services to reduce the impact of economic difficulties on children, especially those belonging
to the most disadvantaged groups including the indicators or target figures and financial outlays that are used in this context (see paras. 9, 10 and 15
of the State party report).

7. Please provide further information on the measures being taken to ensure that regional disparities do not develop in relation to the provision of
social services and that children throughout the country are protected against the adverse effects of any reductions in budgetary allocations, especially to
the social sector. (see paras. 10 and 18 of the State party report).

8. Please indicate to what extent international cooperation is designed to foster the implementation of the Convention and what proportion of it is
allocated to programmes for children.

9. With regard to the information provided in paras. 7 and 24 of the State party report, please indicate to what extent is the Convention translated into
minority languages and made known to adults and children alike, and with what means are the non-governmental organizations encouraged to spread awareness
about the Convention.

10. Please provide further information on the measures being taken to train professional groups such as social workers, doctors, lawyers, judges, school
staff, public educators, police officials as well as decision makers about the principles and provisions of the Convention.

11. What concrete measures have been taken or are foreseen to make the State report widely available to the public at large in the light of article 44
para. 6 of the Convention? Please indicate whether the text of the report has been, or is intended to be, translated and disseminated in any of the minority
languages.

12. What is the distinction between the notions of "child", "minor" and "adolescent"? (see para. 25 of the State party report).

13. Please provide further information on the criteria used to establish the legal responsibility for children of 14 years of age and older (see paras. 32
and 249 of the State party report).

14.Is there any specific legislative provision on non-discrimination in relation to children or has any consideration been given to the possibility
of including it in future legislation?

15. Have any procedures been established to monitor tendencies of discrimination against children on the basis of gender, ethnic origin or
any other possible ground for discrimination as spelled out in article 2 of theConvention?

16.Please indicate specific and concrete measures taken to prevent and eliminate discrimination against children belonging to minorities and/or
born out of wedlock and other special circumstances, including measures to eliminate and prevent discriminatory attitudes and prejudices. (see paras.
44 and 45 of the State party report).

17.In the light of the legislative and administrative measures taken to ensure the application of the principle of the best interests of the child
please indicate the main problems remaining in this respect (see paras. 46- 49 of the State party report).

18.Please indicate in what ways the methods of interviewing children with regards to the information provided in paras. 51-53 of the State party
report have been adjusted to guarantee the right of the child to express his/her views. What specific procedures have been adopted to ensure a
reassuring atmosphere for the child in such situations?

19. Please indicate if adolescent girls who are at risk of becoming pregnant early are included in sex education or family planing programmes
in order to ensure the realization of the best interests of the child.

21.What steps are being taken to further encourage the publication of children's literature, including children's magazines and the availability
of these materials to children living in poor families and in rural areas ?(see para. 72 of the State party report).

22.Please indicate any measures taken or envisaged to protect children from broadcasts of violent programmes and information that might have dangerous
or harmful effects on them in particular with regard to the information provided in paras. 63, 71 and 72 of the State party report.

23.Please provide further information on the exercise of the right to freedom of religion by children belonging to minority groups including the
Bul garian Turkish minority (see para. 77 of the State party report).

24.With regard to the information provided in para. 80 of the State party report, please indicate any measures taken or envisaged to encourage the
establishment of associations formed by children, including for out of school children.

25. Please provide information on the channels available or envisaged through which children may make their views known and have them taken into
account.

26.What specific programmes exist to protect children from being ill-treated in boarding institutions? Do monitoring mechanisms function in the
case of children becoming victims of such violations? Are there complaints procedures which can be used by children themselves against such abuses?

28. Please provide clarification as to whether parents' poverty is considered ground for the court to revoke parental rights and how is it
considered in conformity with the principles of non-discrimination and the best interests of the child? (see paras. 46, 104 and 105 of the State party
report).

29.Please provide further information on the mechanisms in place to monitor the situation of children placed in the alternative care institutions
mentioned in paras. 106, 108, 111, 122-132 of the State party report. Please also provide information on the further measures that are being
tak en or envisaged to ensure that the provisions of art. 25 of the Convention are respected, in the light of para. 150 of the report. Please
ind icate the frequency of the review of placement.

30.In the light of the information provided in paras. 130 and 131 of the State party report please indicate if any measures are being taken to solve
the problems related to organization, management and location of the alternative care institutions. Please indicate whether there is a need for
technical assistance in this regard.

31.Please indicate measures taken or to be taken to prevent and punish illegal financial gain in the case of inter-country adoption and to ensure
protection of childrens rights once they are adopted in another country. Please indicate if any decision has been taken towards the State becoming a
party to the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Cooperation in respect of Intercountry Adoption (see para. 137 and 138 of the State party
rep ort).

32.With regard to the information contained in paras. 49, 143 and 144 of the State party report, what further measures are being taken to establish
a mechanism for protecting the child from violence, abuse and neglect in the family and has consideration been given to include in the legislation a
prohibition of mistreatment and corporal punishment of children in the family in the light of art. 19 of the Convention ?

33.Please indicate in what ways the institutions mentioned in paras. 147 and 149 of the State party report ensure that the recovery and habilitation
of child victims of abuse and ill-treatment within the family takes place in an environment which fosters the health, self-respect and dignity of the
chi ld.

35.Please provide further information on the measures taken or envisaged to reduce the infant mortality rate in particular in rural areas as well as to
reduce the number of child deaths resulting from accidents, poisoning and violence (see paras. 169-172 of the State party report).

36.What measures are being considered by the Government to improve the hea lth culture of the population and provide health and education to
children and parents, particularly those belonging to minority groups mentioned in para. 172 of the State party report? (see also paras. 175 and
176 of the State party report).

37.In the light of the information provided in paras. 179 and 180 of the State party report, please provide further information on the measures
envisaged to adopt a national strategy to tackle the problem of the poor nut rition of children and to monitor it.

38.Please provide further details of the measures taken or envisaged to further reduce maternal mortality rate in light of the information
contained in paras. 182 and 183 of the State party report.

39.Please indicate what measures are being taken to reduce the abortion rat e and for the wide-scale introduction of contraceptive methods
especially as regards the progress made in the elaboration of a long-term family planning policy and to improve health and sexual education? (see
para. 184 of the State party report).

40.In the light of the information provided in paras. 193 and 196 of the State party report please provide further information on the measures that
are being taken or are envisaged to ensure that the provisions of the Convention relating to the right to an adequate standard of living are
respected, particularly in relation to children belonging to the most disadvantaged groups, including Roma children and children from single-
parent families.

42.What percentage of pre-school aged children are presently benefited from day care? In addition, please provide further information on the payment of
pre-school fees and the impact this measure has had in pre-school education coverage (see para. 198 of the State party report).

43.What measures are being taken to ensure regular school attendance and reduce school drop-outs rates in particular with regard to children living
in rural areas? (see para. 211 of the State party report).

44.In the light of the information provided in paras. 7, 284 and 285 of the State party report, please indicate the extent of the coverage of teaching
of minority languages in schools.

45. Please indicate if any consideration has been given to reforming educational curricula in order to deal with the problem of "curricula
ove rburden" and to ensure the incorporation of education about the Convention on the Rights of the Child (see para. 177 of the State party
report).

46.With regard to the information contained in para. 216 of the State party report please indicate what further measures or plans are envisaged to
provide for further sports, recreation and leisure facilities for children. Ple ase provide information on the budgetary allocations for school
education, in particular for teachers wages.

48.In the light of the information provided in paras. 40 and 224 of the State report please provide further information on the minimum age for
com pulsory military service.

49.With regard to the information provided in paras. 18, 237, 242 and 243 of the State party report in relation to future reforms in the
administration of juvenile justice, please provide further information on the progress made and to what extent the measures considered are be
compatible with the principles and provisions of the Convention, particularly those of its articles 37, 39 and 40.

50.How is it ensured in practice that the use of arrest, detention or imprisonment of a child is a measure of last resort and for the shortest
period of time? (see paras. 229, 230, 235 and 259 of the State party report).

51.In the light of the information provided in paras. 231 and 259 of the Sta te party report, please indicate what measures are being taken or
envisage to guarantee to children the enjoyment of their rights and legal saf eguards provided for in articles 37(d) and 40.2.(b)(iii) of the
Convention.

52.Have the changes mentioned in para. 249 of the State party report been implemented?

53.With regard to the different types of custodial facilities mentioned in para. 241 of the State party report, please provide clarification as to
whe ther these institutions are used exclusively for the placement of children found to have committed anti-social offences and whether legal
safeguards set forth in articles 37 and 40 are ensured to the children concerned.

54.Please provide further information on the treatment of young offenders especially in relation to:

-the complaint procedures in cases of ill-treatment within the correctional boarding schools;
-the monitoring of these institutions;
-the effectiveness of the physical and psychological recovery and social reintegration measures applied in the correctional schools (see paras. 260
and265 of the State party report).

55.Please indicate how the right to education is ensured for children who are employed, including those who are under the age of 14 (see paras. 267
and 270 of the State party report). What measures are being taken to protect children involved into labour in the informal sector?

56.Please provide information on any measures taken or envisaged to prevent the use of children in the illicit production and trafficking of drugs and
to protect children from illicit use of drugs and psychotropic substances (see para. 272, 274 and 275 of the State party report).

57. Please provide further information on the measures being taken to improve coordination between the authorities and institutions dealing with
the problem of drug abuse and alcoholism (see para. 275 of the State party report).

58.Please provide further information on the effectiveness of the work of the specialized bodies established for preventing child prostitution and
pornography which are mentioned in para. 277 of the State party report.

59.Please provide further details of the measures being taken to protect and promote the rights of children from minority groups in particular with
regards to the Bulgarian Turkish, and Roma minorities and the effectiveness of any such measures, policies and programmes.