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CENSUS LAW

ON POPULATION, HOUSING AND AGRICULTURAL FARMS

IN THE REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA - 2001

Chapter one

General conditions

Article 1. This law arranges the preparation, organization and conducting the census of population, housing and agricultural farms in the Republic of Bulgaria in 2001, named hereafter “The census”.

Article 2. (1) The census under article 1 shall start at 8.00 o’clock on 1 March 2001 and shall end at 20.00 o’clock on 14 March 2001.

(2) The crucial moment of the census is 0:00 o’clock on 1 March 2001. Data on population, buildings, dwellings and agricultural farms gathered through the census refers to that moment.

(3) The control surveys on the coverage and registration accuracy shall start at 8:00 o’clock on 16 March 2001 and shall end at 20:00 o’clock on 25 March 2001.

Chapter two

Objects and units of survey

Article 3. (1) Objects of survey are:

1. Bulgarian citizens permanently living in the Republic of Bulgaria, no matter whether at the crucial moment they are located on the territory of the settlement on which they are permanently living or on the territory of another settlement in the country.

2. Bulgarian citizens and members of their families accompanying them who have gone abroad after 29 February 2000.

3. Bulgarian citizens and members of their families accompanying them permanently living in the Republic of Bulgaria, but at the crucial moment staying abroad on mission of the Bulgarian state, its bodies and organizations.

4. Foreigners granted permission for permanent stay before 1 March 2000, according to the Law for Foreigners article 23, § 3(2).

5. Refugees and members of their families who are granted refugee status before 1 March 2000.

6. Bulgarian citizens, incl. those with double citizenship, permanently living abroad, but staying on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria at the crucial moment.

7. Foreigners granted a permission for short or long-term stay according to the Foreigners Law article 23, § 2 and 3(1) after29 February 2000, excluding persons under article 4 (2,3and 4).

8. Refugees and members of their families for which a legal procedure is being opened for granting a refugee status or who are under protection of the Refugees Law, article 56, § 1 (3 and 4) after 29 February 2000.

9. Residential buildings, incl. those which are not used for living at the crucial moment.

10. Inhabited dwellings, uninhabited dwellings and dwellings used for non-residential purposes.

11. Agricultural farms of the persons under § 1 (1 and 2).

(2) Technical unit of survey during the census are households in which the persons under § 1 (1 to 5), object of survey, live.

(3) The permanent population of the Republic of Bulgaria consists of counted persons pointed in § 1 (1 to 5).

Article 4. The following are not objects of survey during the census:

1. Bulgarian citizens and members of their families accompanying them, incl. persons with double citizenship who have left the country before 1 March 2000, excluding persons under article 3, § 1(3).

2. Foreign citizens, and members of their families, personnel of a foreign diplomatic and consular representations, employees of international and intergovernmental organizations.

3. Foreign military personnel and members of their families.

4. Crew of a foreign inland and maritime vessels at ports or within the territorial waters of the Republic of Bulgaria and passengers on board, as well as crew of a foreign aircraft and passengers on them or within the airports.

5. Dwellings in which persons pointed in 2 and 3 live, as well as dwellings property of foreign countries.

Article 5. (1) Following data for persons object of survey shall be gathered:

  1. Name and surname.
  2. Personal identification number (PIN) for Bulgarian citizens; Personal number for foreigner (PNF) for foreigners permanently staying in the Republic of Bulgaria.
  3. Age
  4. Gender
  5. Household composition
  6. Permanent and current address
  7. Citizenship
  8. Place of birth
  9. Marital status
  10. Student or not
  11. Level of education
  12. Ethnic group
  13. Religion
  14. Mother language
  15. Employment and unemployment
  16. Employment status
  17. Occupation
  18. Employment branch
  19. Sources of means of living
  20. Address of place of work or education
  21. Means of travel to place of work or place of education
  22. Migration of persons

(2) Data for persons under article 3, § 1(6-8) shall be gathered only on points 1-8.

(3) Data on points 12,13 and 14 is voluntary according to the Statistics Law - article 21, § 2.

Article. 6. Data on residential buildings shall be gathered for:

  1. Type of building
  2. Location of building
  3. Year of construction
  4. Build area
  5. Outside walls material
  6. Type of building construction
  7. Number of floors
  8. Availability of lift
  9. Availability of garage
  10. Number of dwellings in the building

Article 7. Data on dwellings shall be gathered for:

  1. Type of dwelling
  2. Type of usage
  3. Size and number of premises
  4. Availability of electricity
  5. Availability of water supply system and sewerage
  6. Type of heating system
  7. Availability of bath and toilet
  8. Durables and cultural goods, used by the household

Article 8 Data on agricultural farms shall be gathered for:

  1. Total land owned by household by categories:
  2. Arable land
  3. Land let out on lease or within cooperatives
  4. Fruit-tree gardens and vineyards owned
  5. Farming equipment owned (agricultural machines, transport vehicles and agrarian equipment)
  6. Live-stock owned

Chapter three

Census questionnaires

Article 9. The following questionnaires shall be used during the main census:

  1. Questionnaire for households and persons, including questions under article 5.
  2. Questionnaire for residential buildings, including questions under article 6.
  3. Questionnaire for dwellings, including questions under article 7.
  4. Questionnaire for agricultural farms, including questions under article 8.

Article 10. During and after the census shall be conducted sample surveys on:

1. Fertility

2. Migration

3. Employment and unemployment

4. Health status of population

5. Time use

Article 11. Control surveys shall be conducted for:

  1. Control the accuracy of registration
  2. Control the coverage of survey units

Chapter four

Census bodies

Article 12. National Statistical Institute and the Regional Statistical Offices organize and conduct the census jointly with regional governors and community mayors.

Article 13. The bodies of the census are:

  1. National Statistical Institute
  2. Regional Statistical Offices
  3. Central census commission
  4. Regional census commissions
  5. Community census commissions
  6. Supervisors
  7. Interviewers

Article 14 (1) The National Statistical Institute:

  1. Shall ensure the overall management and methodological unity during the preparation and conducting the census on all the territorial units in the country.
  2. Shall elaborate Programme for the Population, Housing and Agricultural Farms Census at 1 March 2001 (named Census Programme) in accordance to the national traditions and international organizations recommendations.
  3. Shall manage and realize the process of popularization the aims and goals of the census.
  4. Shall organize and be responsible for training the census bodies.
  5. Shall define the households for specialized sample survey and control surveys.
  6. Shall process, publish and disseminate the census results.

(2) The President of the National Statistical Institute:

  1. Shall define the reward of all the census bodies in co-ordination with the Minister of Finances and Minister of Labour and Social Policy.
  2. Shall present a report at Council of Ministers on finishing the census and the main census results.

Article 15. (1) The Regional Statistical Offices:

  1. Shall ensure the overall census management on their territories.
  2. Shall be responsible for creating enumerating and control units – preparing lists of buildings, dwellings and households.
  3. Shall check-up census progress and work done in settlements and communities.
  4. Jointly with the regional and community census commissions shall organize explanation aims and goals of the census amongst the population.
  5. Shall distribute all necessary census documents by communities and settlements.
  6. Shall train regional, community and settlement census bodies.
  7. Shall organize gathering of census documents and control their completeness.
  8. Shall organize coding of questionnaires, entry of personal data and transmission of electronic records to the National Statistical Institute.

Article 16. (1) The Central census commission is a temporary body consisting of Chairman, Vice-chairman, secretary and 19 members.

(2) National Statistical Institute President shall appoint the Central census commission no later than 1 March 2000.

(3) The Central census commission Chairman shall manage its activity.

(4) The Central census commission:

  1. Shall discuss and present point of view on Census programme and the rest documents on organization, preparation and conducting the Census.
  2. Shall coordinate activities of central institutions responsible for conducting the census amongst the specific population categories.
  3. Shall discuss and suggest measures for correcting gaps and mistakes in the work of census bodies.
  4. Shall estimate and approve the census results and shall take a decision for official census end.
  5. Shall prepare and present to the President of the National Statistical Institute a report for executing the census and main census results and shall terminate its activity.

Article 17. (1) Regional census commission shall be created in each region no later than 6 months before the starting census day.

(2) The Regional census commissions shall be appointed by the Chairman of Central census commission and shall consist of 7 or 9 members.

(3) Representatives of regional administration, communities, Regional Statistical Offices and regional offices of other central institutions shall be presented in the Regional commission.

(4) The commission Chairman shall manage its activity.

(5) The Regional census commission:

  1. Shall control conducting of the census on its the region in accordance with the Census programme and National Statistical Institute directions.
  2. Shall suggest measures for correcting gaps and mistakes in the work of regional census bodies.
  3. Shall inform the National Statistical Institute about preparation and conducting the census on its the region.
  4. Shall receive census results, prepare and present to the Central commission a report for all census documents presented to the Regional Statistical Office and shall terminate its activity.

Article 18. (1) Community census commissions shall be created in each community no later than 6 months before the starting census day.

(2) The Community census commissions shall be appointed by the Chairman of Regional census commission and shall consist of 5 or 7 members.

(3) Representatives of community administration, Regional Statistical Offices and mayoralties shall be presented in the Community commission.

(4) The commission Chairman shall manage its activity.

(5) The Community census commission:

  1. Shall organize and control conducting of the census in the community in accordance to the Census programme, National Statistical Institute directions and Regional commission instructions.
  2. Shall appoint and organize training of census teams (interviewers and supervisors).
  3. Shall control the local activity of interviewers and supervisors.
  4. Shall inform the Regional census commission about preparation and conducting the census in the community.
  5. Shall receive census results, prepare and present to the Regional census commission a report for all census documents presented to the Regional statistical office and shall terminate its activity.

Article 19. The Director ofRegional Statistical Officeshall appoint the interviewers and supervisors based on Community commission proposal.

Article 20. (1) The supervisorshall control and support interviewers from his region. He shall be responsible for the completeness of data recorded by interviewers in the questionnaires.

(2) In his activity the supervisor shall follow only the instructions for completing the questionnaires and shall contact the Community commission Chairman when there is a problem.

(3) After finishing the census the supervisor shall gather all census documents and produce a table including data for the whole region.

Article 21 (1) Interviewer shall be engaged with completing the questionnaires. In gathering a personal data he must follow the instructions for completing the questionnaires and directions of supervisor and Community census commission Chairman.

(2) For settlements where there are specific local conditions and where it is difficult for interviewers to work, mayors shall appointan accompanying person. These persons shall support the interviewers work and shall comply with their directions.

(3) Ministries of: Foreign Affairs, Interior, Defense, Labour and Social Policy, Health, Regional Development and Public Works, Transport, Education, Justice and Legal Euro-integration shall appoint interviewers for surveying specificcategories of persons.

Article 22 All persons appointed as supervisors and interviewers shall pass 3 - day training course organized by Community census commissions and Regional Statistical Offices.

Chapter five

System and mode of census

Article 23 (1) In order to test the organization, conducting and tools of the census the National Statistical Institute is obliged to carry out census test. It should be carried in cooperation with the Regional governors and Community mayors as a first stage of the census.

(2) Census test in Republic of Bulgaria shall start at 8:00 o’clock on 1 March 2000 and shall end at 20:00 o’clock on 14 March 2000.

(3) The crucial moment of census test is 0:00 o’clock on 1 March 2000.

(4) The President of the National Statistical Institute in cooperation with the Regional governor and the Community mayor define the settlements for the census test.

(5) The results and conclusions from the test concerning its organization, tools and conducting shall be reflected in the final version of census Programme.

Article 24. Persons shall be surveyed according their residence.

Article 25. (1) Interviewers, supervisors and accompanying persons when executing their census duties shall visit all dwellings and buildings within their enumerating and control unit from 8:00 to 20:00 o’clock.

(2). Persons under article 3, § 1 excluding those in points 1 and 2 are obliged to ensure admission of census bodies to their dwellings within hours under § 1.

Article 26. (1) Data about persons and households under article 5 shall be received from persons themselves. Exceptions could be done for:

  1. Members of households under age of 14 or 14-18
  2. Persons with heavy illness
  3. Persons on military service
  4. Arrested persons
  5. Temporary absent persons

(2) Data about persons under § 1 could be received from head of the household or another major household member. In case the whole households are absent from the place of their permanent residence for the whole census period data could be received from respective community, district administration or mayoralty.

(3) Data about residential buildings, dwellings and agricultural farms under articles 6,7 and 8 shall be received from the head of household or another major household member and if it is not possible – from mayoralties.

Article 27. (1) The National Statistical Institute could engage persons in accordance to the Law for duties and contracts in order to conduct the census.

(2) Directors of the Regional Statistical Offices conclude contracts according to § 1 with supervisors, interviewers and other persons participating in the census.

(3) Interviewers, supervisors and accompanying persons shall be issued specialized passes with their names, personal identification number, validity term and photo. Pass specimen shall be obligatory popularized in mass media. Passes should be given back to the Regional Statistical Offices together with the census documents.

(4) Interviewers, supervisors and accompanying persons shall be obliged to present their passes when visit citizen’s dwellings.

Chapter six

Confidentiality of data and data security

Article 28. Statistical data received after processing the census questionnaires shall be used for statistical purposes only.

Article 29. (1) Personal data received during the census shall be protected by this law and by the Statistics Law.

(2) Personal data received during the census can’t be use as a proof at courts and public administration bodies.

Article 30. Persons engaged with gathering, control, data entry and processing of census data should not popularize or present personal or summarized data received during the census.

Article 31. (1) National Statistical Institute and Regional Statistical Offices shall be obliged to ensure prevention of personal data, undertaking necessary organizational and technical measures and admitting to data only persons who have sighed legal undertakings about confidentiality.

(2) Interviewers, supervisors and accompanying persons should sign legal undertakings during the instructive meetings when receiving passes according article 27, § 3.

(3) Obligation according article 30 and 31, § 1 is valid even after terminating the work.

Article 32. (1) The questionnaires completed during the census shall be abolished3 years after finishing day of the census.

(2) Order and method of abolishment shall be determined by order of the President of the National Statistical Institute.

Chapter seven

Census financing

Article 33. (1) Financial resources for the census shall be ensured by the State budget and shall be a separate part of the financial maintenance of the National Statistical Institute.

(2) Finances under §1 shall be spent according to provisional bill prepared by the President of the National Statistical Institute and signed by the Minister of Finances.

Article 34. President of the National Statistical Institute shall prepare and present to the Ministry of Finances annual reports for funds spent on preparation, conducting, data processing and publishing the census results.

Chapter eight

Administrative and penalty provisions

Article 35. Person who does not present the data according to article 5-8 or present wrong or non-correct data should pay a penalty amounting 50 to 250 BGL.

Article 36. Interviewer, supervisor or other person on duty who have not execute its’ duties according to this law should pay a penalty amounting 250 to 500 BGL.

Article 37. Person on duty having an access to personal data who popularize or use the data for purposes different from that pointed in article 28 should pay a penalty amounting 2000 to 6000 BGL if the act is not considered a malfeasance.

Article 38. (1) Acts on infringements shall be issued by persons on duty defined by the President of the National Statistical Institute.

(2) On the basis of the acts issued the National Statistical Institute President or authorized persons on duty shall issue a penalty order.

(3) Issuing of acts, issuing, appealing and executing of the penalty orders should be done according to the order specified in the Law for administrative infringements and punishments.

Additional provisions

§ 1. National Statistical Institute shall issue instructions on completion all the questionnaires, lists and another census documents.