Bulgaria
National level
In 2008 the Bulgarian government announced that it will consider Free Software while reviewing its national IT strategy.
Since 2015, Free Software is the preferred development form for eGovernment projects and listed as a requirement in the 'Preliminary criteria for the eligibility of eGovernment projects'. The policy is said to be backed up with the relevant legislation in future. A few governmental projects are already published as Free Software.
Initiatives
Since May 2016, a repository for software has been freed up and developed by and for the government. The introduction of the bill for open government is an amendment of the eGovernment act, adopted in 2007, by the establishment of a new agency: an eGovernment agency with the responsibility to manage the source code repository. The source code repository hosts software solutions developed by and for public administrations. According to the amendment, whenever public administrations are writing new software, and whenever they are upgrading existing software or systems, code ought to meet Free Software criteria.
Laws
Since July 2016 the Electronic Governance Act requires all software written for the government to be Free Software and to be developed as such in a public repository:
Art. 58a. Upon preparation of technical and functional assignments for public procurement to develop, upgrade or implementation of information systems and e-services, administrative authorities must include the following requirements: 1. when the subject of the contract includes the development of computer programs: a) computer programs must meet the criteria for open source software; b) all copyright and related rights on the relevant computer programs, their source code, the design of interfaces and databases which are subject to the order should arise for the principal in full, without limitations in the use, modification and distribution; c) development should be done in the repository maintained by the Agency in accordance with Art. 7c pt. 18;
Despite the promising framework that the Art. 58a creates, April made some suggestions for improvement. In brief, April notes that a reference to free software and its definition would have been more ambitious, an explicit reference to the criteria of the "Open Source Initiative" might have been more appropriate and a broader provision, built around a priority to internal development and to sharing and reuse amongst public administrations, would have been possibly more useful.
Parties