Corporate Social Responsibility in Bulgaria: Development, Constraints and Challenges

In recent decades, many companies world­wide apply socially responsible actions, policies and processes. The topic of socially responsible business became part of European Union policies as a result of the increasingly active role of the EU institutions – the European Commission, European Parliament, formal CSR platforms and others. The main purpose of the article is to present the development of CSR in Bulgaria in the light of the results of research conducted by univer­sity project on “Corporate Social Responsibility in Bulgaria – part of the European social practices“. The study reflects the dynamic, context-dependent and holistic nature of CSR in gen­eral, European CSR and Bulgaria in particular. The wide range of national public policies are researched in a comparative context with the practices of EU Member States. That builds a comprehensive picture of the Bulgaria’s environ­ment for development of CSR. The focus of research has also been on the status and trends of CSR, implemented by business organizations operating on the Bulgar­ian market. The various studies (cabinet and empirical) reveal different aspects of CSR com­panies’ activities: types of corporate initiatives; CSR approaches; the reporting of corporate social behavior; application of the voluntary EU mechanisms to reduce the impact on the envi­ronment (EU Ecolabel, The Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS), attitudes, commitment and adoption of CSR by businesses in Bul­garia. The results show the process of transition from a traditional to a strategic approach to the development of CSR. The study also expands the range of stake­holders and outlines the role and participation of non-profit organizations and the academic com­munity in the distribution, promotion and imple­mentation of CSR in Bulgaria.