Jean-Claude Juncker: The Risk of a No Deal Brexit Remains Very Real
The UK's risk of leaving the EU without an agreement remains very real.
Jos? Manuel Dur?o Barroso, President of the European Commission, photo by bnr.bg
EC President Barroso has told Prime Minister Oresharski that the EC will take action against Bulgaria due to non-observance of EU rules in the South Stream agreements.
Barroso came up with the statement despite assurances on the part of the Bulgarian Prime Minister that the country would comply with the recommendations of the EC on the Energy Act amendments, according to reports of the Bulgarian National Radio.
The Energy Act changes concern the application of EU law on the local South Stream pipeline section.
Barroso announced that he had told heads of state and governments that the EC found that some of the agreements on the South Stream gas pipeline which had already been signed or were being negotiated ran against EU rules and the EC would take the necessary steps to remedy the situation.
He reiterated the stance at a meeting with Plamen Oresharski.
"We have to guarantee that internal market provisions are observed because we believe that in this case we are exposing the energy security of Bulgaria and the EU to risk," Barroso said, stressing that the EC had been following the situation in Bulgaria for months and was fully aware of it.
Barroso underscored that the EC would respond to any breaches of internal market provisions, adding that the agreements Bulgaria had reached or signed were a case in point.
He noted that it was essential for the European Union to be united on the matter of energy security.
The informal sitting of the European Council on May 27 was devoted to the nominees for a new President of the EC.
Bulgaria’s state fuel reserves are sufficient to cover normal consumption for the next 90 days, but domestic fuel prices continue to climb amid the ongoing military conflict in the Middle East
Acting Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov highlighted the strategic importance of energy infrastructure for the European Union during a meeting in Paris with other European leaders, convened at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron.
Bulgaria is increasingly turning into a destination for motorists from neighboring countries seeking cheaper fuel, as turbulence on global oil markets linked to tensions in the Middle East continues to influence prices across the region.
The ongoing military conflict in the Middle East is expected to influence fuel prices in Bulgaria with a lag of approximately 7 to 14 days, potentially pushing inflation in the country up by around 0.6%, according to economist Assoc. Prof. Shteryo Nozharo
Electricity and natural gas prices in Bulgaria remain among the lowest in the European Union, according to the latest figures published by the European statistics agency Eurostat for the first half of 2025.
Bulgaria currently has sufficient reserves of motor fuels and raw materials to cover normal domestic consumption for more than three months, Deputy Finance Minister Stanimir Mihaylov told lawmakers during an extraordinary sitting of the National Assembly
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