Bulgaria must deregulate the electricity market for household consumers and small companies, split the Energy Holding into smaller companies and speed up the construction of gas pipeline connections with the neighbouring countries, recommends the EC in a report, quoted by the Sega daily.

The Commission urges the minimisation of the role of the state and the watchdog DKEVR in the country's electricity market. The households and small companies must finally be allowed to choose and change their electricity provider – something that must have happened in 2012.

The quotas for purchasing of electricity from the power stations at the regulated market and the scheme for sole bulk buyer of electricity should be removed, recommends the EC.

The report also points out that Bulgaria has electricity production overcapacity.