Bulgaria to Open Railway Passenger Market to Domestic and Foreign Competition
Bulgaria is preparing to open its railway passenger transport market to competition
The European Commission says its probe into anti-competitive practices by Russian energy giant Gazprom in Central and Eastern Europe includes the company's activity in Bulgaria.
Last week, Gazprom and Bulgaria's National Energy Holding have come to an agreement on important construction and technological details of the Bulgarian section of the South Stream gas pipeline.
As EUobserver has pointed out, South Stream is Russia's answer to Nabucco, an EU-backed pipeline scheme to end Russia's monopoly on Caspian-Sea-region exports and increase the diversification of gas supplies.
On Wednesday, the European Commission's energy spokeswoman, Marlene Holzner told a briefing in Brussels that if the Bulgarian deal violates EU law the commission can launch "infringement proceedings" to get it changed.
Gazprom's activity in the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Slovakia will be also probed, Commission spokesman Antoine Colombani revealed during the same briefing.
"This is an investigation into a company [Gazprom] and its relations with other companies ... We do not deal with member states directly," Colombani noted, as cited by EUobserver.
Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov has reaffirmed that the “Balkan Stream” pipeline remains a functional and commercially viable energy project
Sofia recently hosted the fifth edition of the Green Transition Forum 2025, a major regional event focused on sustainable development
Deputy Energy Minister Iva Petrova emphasized at Green Transition Forum 5.0 that Bulgaria’s energy strategy hinges on modernizing grid infrastructure and securing long-term supply agreements
From July 1, 2025, electricity and thermal energy prices in Bulgaria are set to increase
From July 1, 2025, Bulgarian households are expected to see an average increase of just under 5% in their electricit
Since its commercial launch at the end of 2022, the Greece–Bulgaria gas interconnector (IGB) has transported more than 34.5 million MWh of natural gas
Borderless Bulgaria: How Schengen Benefits Are Transforming Trade and Logistics
Bulgaria's Mortality Rate Remains Highest in Europe