On 13 October 2008, the European Committee of Social Rights (ECSR) ruled that Bulgaria has failed to provide education for up to 3,000 children with intellectual disabilities, therefore violating its obligations under the European Social Charter. The ECSR is a Council of Europe body with jurisdiction over the European Social Charter.

In the collective complaint, Mental Disability Advocacy Center v. Bulgaria, the ECSR found systematic discrimination against children with intellectual disabilities, as a result of the disparity in treatment between them and children who are not institutionalised in homes for children with intellectual disabilities. Only 6.2% of institutionalised children with intellectual disabilities receive an education, as compared to 94% of children in the population as a whole. The ECSR noted that the government's stated policies of non-discrimination remain unimplemented.

The full decision on the merits is available at: http://www.coe.int/T/DGHL/Monitoring/SocialCharter/Complaints/CC41Merits_en.pdf 

A summary of the decision is available on the website of the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee, at: http://www.bghelsinki.org/index.php?module=news&lg=en&id=1737 and on the website of the Mental Disability Advocacy Center, at: http://www.mdac.info/en/node/160