The Mountain Rescue Service is about to be spun off from the Bulgarian Red Cross (BRC), according to a proposal of the government cited in a Wednesday statement of its press office.

BRC's unit is about to become an independent non-profit legal entity executing activities for the benefit of the community.

The draft amendments to the Bulgarian Red Cross Act prepared by the Cabinet define who is authorized to carry out mountain rescue operations, the sources of financing for the activity, the unit in charge of training and certification of mountain rescuers, etc.

The changes are aimed at improving the quality of the rescue operations offered, thereby allowing Bulgaria to honor its commitments on rendering aid to Bulgarian and foreign victims of mountain accidents and transporting them from difficult-to-access places.

The draft bill envisages the allocation of subsidies from the state budget as one source of financing for mountain rescue activities.

The transitional and final provisions of the draft bill provide for a number of other amendments to other laws to pave the way for the new legal status and functions of the service.

The new unit will be similar to BRC in terms of articles of association, including tax status and the opportunity to acquire ownership of movable items of private state property.

Under the new statutory regime, BRC will also be authorized to set up professional colleges and centers for professional training of paramedics.

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