INTERACTION OF THE NPM WITH INTERNATIONAL AND NATIONAL AUTHORITIES. PARTICIPATION IN CONFERENCES In 2015 the Bulgarian NPM strengthened its cooperation with the Subcomittee on Prevention of Torture. The SPT maintains an interactive slack.com platform in which all NPMs in Europe take part to exchange information, discuss different issues, find partners etc. In general the SPT is very positive about the work of the Bulgarian NPM. SPT main recommendations concern the lack of financial independence and a separate NPM earmarked budget. The Ombudsman acting as NPM is member of the South-East Europe NPM Network. NPM staff members took part in the SEE NPM annual meeting in Tirana, Albania, on 29-30 June 2015. During the meeting members discussed how to ensure medical care in places of detention. NPM experts took part in international conferences on issues directly related to the NPM work: “Strengthening the effective implementation and follow up of recommendations by torture monitoring bodies in the European Union”, „Strengthening the practical application of the standards and recommendations as regards excessive or wrong recourse to pre-trial detention”. In May 2015 NPM experts were certified, after due training, as forced return observers in the framework of the project “Forced Return Monitoring”. In addition to participation in various international fora, NPM experts took part in a series of meetings, round tables and conferences on national level, organised by public authorities or non-governmental organisations. 16