Winter Tourism: 1.8 Million Visit Bulgaria
Bulgaria has witnessed a bustling winter tourism season, with a total of 1.8 million tourists gracing its picturesque landscapes from December 1 to March 25
"The South Stream [gas pipeline] is not a Bulgarian project, and the whole project does not depend on us," Bulgaria's Prime Minister wrote on Facebook.
He also added Sofia might be forced to make amendments in sections disapproved by the EU Commission.
Plamen Oresharski reminded the country had received "remarks" from the European Commission which prompted him to order that all activities, mostly those involving the signing of new agreements, be halted until the issue "how well-grounded these remarks are" is settled with the Commission.
"We will try to persuade the Commission that we acted in the right way - we have enough arguments for that. But if we fail, we will make corrections to those actions the Commission does not approve, because this might subsequently lead, if we do not reach an agreement on the issue, to an infringement procedure," Oresharski warned.
"We will take all remarks by the EU Commission into consideration, [but] before that will seek to explain everything we have done is analogous to other procedures [that have been] conducted and approved," Bulgaria's Prime Minister added.
An infringement procedure over the construction of South Stream has been reportedly in place since early June, though Sofia has long complained no documents from Brussels were received on that matter.
Oresharski's Facebook statement comes a week after Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov visited Bulgaria and called on the EU to exclude South Stream from its Third Energy Package.
The EU Commission has expressed concerns that activities related to the pipeline's construction in Bulgaria violate the bloc's rules.
It points at issues of competition arising in the tender launched to build South Stream, after which the company Stroytransgaz was commissioned to become the main subcontractor.
The Commission is also worried by legislative amendments adopted at first reading in Bulgaria's Parliament in spring that might exclude South Stream from the Third Energy Package and prevent "third-party" access to its pipes.
We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!
The Nuclear Regulatory Agency (NRA) has greenlit the phased transition to a new type of nuclear fuel for Unit 5 of Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), manufactured by Westinghouse
In a bid to enhance its energy security and diversify its gas supply sources, Bulgargaz is gearing up for the first deliveries of liquefied gas through the Alexandroupolis terminal, set to commence in May
The Greek national electricity company, PPC, has announced plans to acquire 500 megawatts of photovoltaic capacity in Bulgaria
Oil prices have surged due to renewed concerns about the Middle East conflict. Brent crude futures increased by 0.32% to 90.80 USD per barrel, while American WTI crude rose by 0.3% to 86.50 USD per barrel
Bulgaria's state-owned energy company, "Bulgargaz," has suffered a significant setback, losing 27% of its market share as a result of a contract with the Turkish company "Botas"
A remarkable shift in Bulgaria's energy landscape has been unveiled in the latest report from the Commission for Energy and Water Regulation, submitted to the Bulgarian parliament
UN Happiness Report: Bulgaria's Astonishing Leap in Rankings
Bulgaria: 3 Regions With Lowest Life Expectancy - EU Report 2022