Bulgaria, as well as all EU member states, will ban the import and production of dangerous cigarette lighters in May next year, the new consumer protection commissioner announced.

Meglena Kuneva, who served as Bulgaria's EU Affairs Minister, will take over the consumer protection portfolio, previously held by Public Health Commissioner Markos Kyprianou on January 1, when the country joins the block.

The regulation on lighters envisages that disposable cigarette lighters have to be child-safe. As far as the technology goes, it is rather simple to construct a lighter in such a way that tiny thumbs are unable to ignite it, although this raises prices by a couple of cents or so.

"The regulation sparked heated debates at the German Bundestag as it hurts the interests of importers," Meglena Kuneva said.

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