Extending the annual leave entitlement by five days will drastically reduce Bulgarian GDP, reducing it by up to 2.3%, an employers' association has warned.

Commenting on a draft bill submitted to Parliament which proposes that an employee is to have 25 (instead of 20) days of paid holiday leave every year, the Bulgarian Industrial Association (BIA) urges a "thorough analysis and a debate" on the issue.

In an official statement, it has stressed that the number of days off Bulgarian employees have (annual leave combined with official holidays) is already bigger than that of many developed economies.

The total number of days of leave in Bulgaria is 32. In terms an employee can take as a holiday leave, Bulgarian law offers the minimum leave entitlement enshrined in the EU's common rules, which is also the case for a number of other member states (Belgium, Czech Republic, Croatia, Estonia, Germany, Greece, the Netherlands).