Bulgarian PM Sacks Head of Energy Watchdog

Bulgarian Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, is proposing to the Cabinet to dismiss from the post the Chairman of the State Commission for Energy and Water Regulation, DKEVR, Angel Semerdzhiev.

The proposal is connected with the delay and lack of a number of administrative acts from the Electricity and Gas Directives, requested by the European Commission.

It was reported last Thursday that EC is referring Bulgaria, Estonia and the United Kingdom to the Court of Justice of the European Union for failing to fully apply the EU internal energy market rules.

According to the EC's press office, to date Bulgaria, Estonia and the UK have only partially transposed the Electricity and Gas Directives. The Directives had to be transposed by the Member States by 3 March 2011.

Economy and Energy Minister, Delyan Dobrev, blamed DKEVR for the EC case against Bulgaria.

At first, Semerdzhiev stated that DKEVR has already adopted one of the said Directives.

He explained the remaining 3 directives will be prepared by DKEVR in just days, and stated the deadline for the latter was mid-July and obviously no one had told Dobrev that a one year delay of all directives was included in the law.

However, it was reported Monday that Semerdzhiev has logged the request to be released before the end of his term in office as a Chair and member of the watchdog.