The Confederation of Employers and Industrialists in Bulgaria (CEIBG) has demanded representation in the energy watchdog.

In a media statement published Thursday, the CEIBG called for representatives of the national employers' associations to be included in Bulgaria's State Commission for Energy and Water Regulation (DKEVR), following the example of the National Social Security Institute and the National Health Insurance Fund, in a bid to boost civic control over the commission.

The CEIBG underscores that trade disputes between companies and the state are to be solved through talks or in court, and not in the media.

"The obligations of state enterprises are to be treated the same way as the obligations of private companies. Therefore, the obligations of the state-owned National Electric Company (NEK) are no different than the obligations of power supply companies and there should be no discriminatory treatment," the CEIBG says.

The CEIBG also backs the demand of the Bulgarian Federation of Industrial Energy Consumers (BFIEC) for greater institutional sustainability in the energy sector.

The CEIBG cautions that the methodology for setting electricity prices is deeply flawed and will result in a sharp price spike and an unavoidable bankruptcy of NEK.

"At present, however, NEK is in a state of technical bankruptcy and the price of electricity will soon reach a historical peak," the association notes, warning that these processes will cause the Bulgarian economy to collapse.

The CEIBG argues that an anti-crisis plan must be drafted urgently to avoid such a scenario, adding that the plan should include both short-term and long-term measures which take into account the interests of all interested sides and, most notably, the interests of Bulgarian industry.

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