The Commission for Protection against Discrimination (CPD) is the Bulgarian national independent specialised state quasi-judicial body for the prevention of discrimination, protection against discrimination and implementation of state policy in the field of equal opportunities and equal treatment of all citizens on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria.

It is a “national equality body”, as all member states of the European Union have.4 The Commission is a legal entity with budgetary support, with its headquarters in Sofia and its regional representatives, which monitors the implementation of and compliance with the Law on Protection against Discrimination (LPDiskr) or other laws governing equality in treatment. 

The CPD has the power to examine and resolve cases of discrimination, to impose compulsory administrative measures and sanctions in case of established violations, to order the cessation of the violation and the restoration of the original situation, to give recommendations to the state and municipal authorities for the cessation of discriminatory practices and for the revocation of their acts issued in violation of the legislation regulating equality in treatment, to give opinions on draft normative acts for their compliance with the legislation on the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms. 

The CPD is an independent body and structurally stands outside the system of separation of powers. In this sense, it is not part of the executive so that it can act independently of it, including by ruling against it and giving it prescriptions and recommendations. This is the express intention of the Bulgarian legislator, which regulates the CPC in order to transpose, inter alia, Directive 2000/43/EC and Directive 2002/73/EC, which require the Member States of the European Union to establish an independent body to promote non-discrimination.  

The Commission has powers with regard to the adoption, repeal, amendment or supplementation of regulations where they are not in conformity with national and international legal standards on equal treatment.

The CPD has been accredited as a national human rights institution by the International Coordinating Committee of National Human Rights Institutions. The decisions of the CPC are individual administrative acts and as such are subject to appeal under the Administrative Procedure Code.