Expats

Bulgaria's Interior Ministry to Restrict Use of Force, Firearms [Jan 31, 2012] Reforms at the Interior Ministry will include the introduction of legal amendments stipulating the standard of "absolute necessity for the use of firearms and other police-related tools," according to Deputy Interior Minister Veselin Vuchkov. Speaking at a Tuesday conference on reforms at the Interior, he said that the Interior Ministry Act would be changed in response to over 30 trials against ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria Holds Yet Another DTT Contest to Avoid Hefty EU Fine [Dec 27, 2011] Bulgaria has confirmed it will hold a tender for yet another multiplex, triggering speculations that the move aims to prevent legal action by the European Commission, irked by the previous shady deals. Bulgaria's communications watchdog is obliged to prepare the package of documents for the new tender on September 1, 2013 under legal amendments that parliament hurriedly adopted in the last days ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria's Constitutional Court, the Rubber Plant in the Living Room [Nov 25, 2011] In the course of two days, Bulgaria's Constitutional Court (KS) made headlines. In a November 22 decision, KS revoked revoked a set of amendments to the Diplomatic Service Act banning former State Security agents from taking up key diplomatic posts. In a November 24 decision, KS admitted the request for a substantive examination of the legality of the end-October presidential elections filed by ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria to Go Ahead with Diplomatic Lustration Despite Court Ruling - Minister [Nov 23, 2011] Foreign Minister Nikolay Mladenov has expressed regret over Wednesday's decision of the Constitutional Court (KS) obstructing the anticipated recall of Bulgarian diplomats abroad exposed as former Communist State Security agents. "The decision of the Constitutional Court revoking the amendments to the Diplomatic Service Act concerning people with proven ties to the secret services of the ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria New DTT Contest, Legal Changes Mere Eyewash - Experts [Nov 16, 2011] Bulgaria's surprise decision to hold a contest for yet another multiplex and adopt legal amendments are just an attempt to trick Brussels out of taking legal actions against the country, experts have commented. "This is just an attempt to eyewash Brussels. The new multiplex will be a collection of frequencies that are, to put it mildly, inadequate.... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria Likely to Soften Crack-Down on Illegal Assets [Nov 11, 2011] Bulgarian authorities are likely to have the right to launch probes and seize without a conviction unexplained wealth, worth more than BGN 150,000, which has been acquired only over the last five years. This is envisaged by amendments, currently in the pipeline, to the long-delayed bill authorizing widespread confiscation of illegally obtained assets, according to insiders. The majority in ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria's Ruling Party Pledges to Restrict Wiretap Use [Aug 15, 2011] MPs from Bulgaria's ruling center-right party GERB plan to table legal amendments drastically restricting the use of special surveillance devices. A special working group consisting of GERB MPs, experts from Bulgaria's Interior Ministry and the Council of Ministers have said that the proposals will be given a priority review after the Parliament's summer recess, according to accounts of ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria President Vetoes Ban on Spies among Diplomats [Jul 28, 2011] Bulgaria's President Georgi Parvanov has imposed a veto on legal amendments, which ban former State Security agents from the times of the Communist regime to take up key diplomatic positions. Following the presidential veto, the amendments will be transferred back to parliament for further debates. In his motives President Parvanov says that several amendments of the bill adopted on July 14 ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria criminalizes match-fixing [Jul 22, 2011] Bulgaria's parliament has approved legal amendments to make match-fixing and corruption in sport a crime with penalties of up to six years in prison. [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria criminalizes match-fixing [Jul 21, 2011] Bulgaria's parliament has approved legal amendments to make match-fixing and corruption in sport a crime with penalties of up to six years in prison. Lawmakers voted on Thursday to add a whole new chapter "Offenses against Sports" to the Penal Code under which those convicted of match-fixing or bribing will also face fines of up to ?7,600 ($10,800). [via YahooNews] More >>

Match-fixers in Bulgaria face up to six years in jail [Jul 21, 2011] Bulgaria's parliament has approved legal amendments under which anyone convicted of attempting to fix sports events will face up to six years in jail. [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria Bans Ex-Communist Agents from Key Diplomatic Jobs [Jul 14, 2011] Employees of the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry who were active as secret State Security agents during the Communist regime will no longer be allowed to take key diplomatic positions. The amendments to Bulgaria's Diplomatic Service Act were adopted at second reading Thursday. Bulgaria's 35 ambassadors proven to have been collaborators of the communist regime's secret service can now be removed from ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria Sets Up Mega-Structure for 3 Neglected Highways [Jul 07, 2011] Bulgaria's Parliament has approved at second reading the founding of a State Company "Strategic Infrastructure Projects", a mega-structure to be in charge of the construction of three largely neglected highway projects. The new body created with adopted amendments to the Roads Act will seek to accelerate the construction of "strategic infrastructure projects", namely the Struma Highway (running ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria Halfway to Banning Ex Spies from Serving as Ambassadors [Jun 24, 2011] Bulgaria's 35 ambassadors proven to have been collaborators of the communist regime's secret service will be removed from their posts, according amendments to the Diplomatic Service Act adopted by the Parliament at first reading. The much anticipated but still controversial "diplomatic lustration" legislation championed by Foreign Minister Nikolay Mladenov was adopted Thursday with 92 votes in ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria to Reinstate Military Training of Youth - Report [May 31, 2011] The Bulgarian government is reported to be planing making legislative changes to reinstate military training at schools. According to a publication in Bulgarian wide-circulation tabloid Telegraf, the amendments to the Law on the Military Reserve prepared by the team of Minister of Defense Anyu Anglov foresee mandatory military training at high schools. The mandatory training will be during the ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria Almost Certainly to Enshrine 'Financial Stability' into Constitution by End-June [May 28, 2011] Bulgaria's Parliament will adopt novel amendments to its Constitution known as a "Financial Stability Pact" by the end of June 2011, the institution's head Tsetska Tsacheva announced with a high degree of certainty. The Financial Stability Pact, a brainchild of Bulgarian Finance Minister Simeon Djankov, is seen as a novel but controversial approach to guarantee state fiscal stability through the ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria Shortens Residency Requirement for Voters [May 13, 2011] The Bulgarian Parliament accepted amendments in the country's Election Code, which were revoked last week by the Constitutional Court. The permanent residency requirement, which provided that only Bulgarian citizens, who had lived in the respective city or town for the last 12 months, can vote for mayors and members of municipal councils, will be shortened to 6 months. The Constitutional Court ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria Bans Animal Fights [Apr 13, 2011] Any Bulgarian citizen who organizes or participates in animal fighting will face up to 5 years behind bars and a fine ranging between BGN 5 000 and BGN 10 000. The new and tougher sanctions were included in the amendments to the country's Penal Code, which were accepted by the Parliament on Wednesday. "Organizing and participating in animal fights is a dirty business, which is supported by other ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria Banks, State at Daggers Drawn over POS Fees [Apr 10, 2011] The Association of Banks in Bulgaria (ABB) and the Ministry of Finance are facing uphill negotiations over new legislation restricting cash payments, analysts say. At the end of January this year Bulgaria's parliament adopted amendments, which ban cash payments exceeding BGN 15 000. Amounts exceeding BGN 15 000 must be paid only through bank transfers, the MPs decided in a bid to prevent VAT ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria Moves to Liberalize Raw Tobacco Market [Feb 23, 2011] The Bulgarian Parliament adopted at second reading amendments to the Tobacco and Tobacco Products Act, which allow the liberalization of the raw tobacco market in the country. The adopted amendment dropped the requirement that only people authorized to deal with industrial processing of tobacco could buy the product. The Bulgarian MPs adopted the proposed amendment, which allows the export of ... [via YahooNews] More >>