European Commission Vice President and Transport Commissioner Jacques Barrot, who is on a visit to Bulgaria, said the safeguard clause against the Balkan country aviation is likely to be scrapped in the first half of next year.

The final decision will depend on the report of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which renewed its inspections in Bulgaria at the end of November.

"Bulgaria's aviation has made a huge progress in comparison with last year, when the European Commission imposed on it a safeguard clause on safety concerns," Commissioner Jacques Barrot said at a press conference at Sofia airport before departing to the Black Sea town of Varna.

The European Union introduced restrictions on Bulgaria's airlines shortly before its accession on January 1, 2007 over "grave deficiencies" in safety procedures. The safeguard clause excluded local air carriers from the benefit of being considered a "Community carrier" and they continued to operate as "third country operators" to and from member states in accordance with existing bilateral agreements. Five local cargo airlines were stripped of licence.

The transport commissioner was cautious in giving guarantees that as of 2008 Bulgaria's aviation will work on a par with European air companies, but generously praised the construction of the Air Traffic Control Center in the capital Sofia.

Bulgaria's commitment to step up control over flights and pilots was also singled out by Commissioner Barrot as an indication of improved aviation safety.

Bulgaria will soon welcome an American mission to check the capacity of local air carriers to service transatlantic flights and the possibility to take them off US black list.

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