Expats

EU criticizes Bulgaria, Romania on reforms [Feb 08, 2012] The European Union criticized Romania and Bulgaria on Wednesday for being too slow to reform their judicial systems or to combat corruption and organized crime. The move casts doubt on the two Balkan nations joining the borderless Schengen zone anytime soon. [via YahooNews] More >>

Cold kills 33 more in Europe, dam breaks in Bulgaria [Feb 06, 2012] SOFIA (Reuters) - Europe's bitterly cold weather killed another 33 people on Monday and melting snow caused a dam wall to break and flood an entire village in Bulgaria. Gas supplies to the European Union from Russia improved at the weekend but have not fully recovered, the European Commission said, as Italy convened a crisis committee to handle what it called critical shortages of Russian gas ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria sets conditions to sign EU fiscal pact [Jan 29, 2012] The Bulgarian Parliament has approved a government plan to join the European Union fiscal pact on certain terms. [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria sets conditions to sign EU fiscal pact [Jan 27, 2012] The Bulgarian Parliament has approved a government plan to join the European Union fiscal pact on certain terms.The plan ? backed on Friday in a 129-1 vote, with 48 abstentions ? stipulates that Bulgaria's ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Analyst: Bulgaria and Romania's EU accession 'was right' (News) [Jan 03, 2012] Bulgaria and Romania are struggling harder than the former communist countries of Central Europe to integrate into the European Union, but a leading French researcher says the decision to take them on board was the right one. Bulgaria and Romania joined the EU [via YahooNews] More >>

Analyst: Bulgaria and Romania's EU Accession 'was right' [Jan 03, 2012] From EurActiv Bulgaria and Romania are struggling harder than the former communist countries of Central Europe to integrate into the European Union, but a leading French researcher says the decision to take them on board was the right one. Bulgaria and Romania joined the EU on 1 January 2007. ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Five years in, newest EU states floundering [Jan 01, 2012] When Bulgaria and Romania joined the European Union five years ago, the two countries were entering a realm of peace, wealth, security and stability. Today, the EU?s newest members are racked with disappointment. [via YahooNews] More >>

Unexcited Bulgaria Marks 5 Years as EU Member [Jan 01, 2012] Bulgaria and Romania are marking Sunday, January 1, 2012, five years since they joined the European Union as full member states ? a step that many across the EU still describe as premature. Bulgaria and Romania's accession meant the EU had 27 members and half a billion people, stretching as far east as the Black Sea. The two Balkan states, however, are still struggling with reforms in key ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria Ranks 16th in EU by Population [Dec 28, 2011] Bulgaria ranks 16th among the 27 European Union Member States by its population, according to the National Statistics Institute, NSI. Magdalena Kostova, from NSI, cited by Darik radio, informed Wednesday that 1% of all people in Europe have Bulgarian citizenship. 17.... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria Helps EU Fail IMF Bailout Target [Dec 20, 2011] The European Union failed to table its EUR 200 B target to the International Monetary Fund to use as bailout for financially troubled members of the eurozone. EU member states, including all eurozone members, plus Denmark, the Czech Republic, Denmark and Sweden managed to gather some EUR 150 B for the rescue fund. Bulgaria was among the few countries - including also the UK, Romania and Hungary ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria to ban smoking in indoor public spaces [Dec 15, 2011] SOFIA (Reuters) - Bulgaria, where more than a third of adults smoke, plans to ban smoking in indoor public spaces from June 1, 2012, the government said on Wednesday. The ban, which has to be approved by parliament, would also forbid smoking outside of nurseries, kindergartens and schools. The European Union poorest member is the country with the second highest tobacco consumption in the bloc ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria passes 2012 budget based on lower growth of 2.3% [Dec 09, 2011] (SOFIA ) - Bulgaria is heading for sharply less growth than expected next year but will still be in the top group of European Union countries in the growth stakes, the budget for 2012 adoped by parliament on Friday shows. [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria's New Justice Minister Says Brussels Approved of Her [Dec 01, 2011] Bulgaria's new Justice Minister Diana Kovacheva has pointed out that the European Union has supported her for the position. "As far as I know, my candidacy was supported by Brussels," Kovacheva stated in an interview for the bTV private channel on Thursday. Kovacheva, who was officially appointed on Wednesday, further revealed that Prime Minister Boyko Borisov personally called her two weeks ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria's Finance Intelligence Head Gets OLAF Job [Nov 24, 2011] The Head of the Special Financial Intelligence Directorate at the Bulgarian State National Security Agency (DANS), Vasil Kirov, is leaving over getting a new post in Brussels. The news was reported by the DANS press center Thursday, saying Kirov had resigned from the Agency. He is now going to work at the European Union anti-fraud office OLAF.... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria's Burgas among Top 30 European Access Cities [Nov 16, 2011] Bulgaria's Black Sea city of Burgas has been ranked among the top thirty cities in the European Union, competing for the 2011 Access City title. The news was reported by the Burgas City hall. The award is bestowed each year and the contest is organized by the European Commission with the goal to focus attention on European cities, which work most actively to improve access for handicap people. ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria to Show EU How to Make Gas Deals with Azerbaijan - President [Nov 14, 2011] The expected deliveries of natural gas from Azerbaijan to Bulgaria will be a "small breakthrough" for the European Union, Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov declared in Baku. Parvanov met Monday with his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev, who confirmed Azerbaijan's commitment to providing Bulgaria's with about 1 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year once the respective gas transit ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Plevneliev Vows to Make Bulgaria 'Proud EU Member' [Nov 07, 2011] Bulgaria will assume its proper place as a "proud member" of the European Union, promised its President-Elect Rosen Plevneliev during a meeting with the Ambassadors of the EU member countries in Sofia. The major focus of Plevneliev's pledges to the rest of the EU on Monday was his promise that Bulgaria will keep its financial discipline during his term (January 2012-January 2017), announced the ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria Calls Upon EU to Set Up 'Energy Schengen Agreement' [Oct 24, 2011] Bulgaria's Economy Minister Traicho Traikov has made a call for the forming of an "Energy Schengen Area", i.e. a set of rules for access to the energy market of the European Union by third nations. ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria PM Borisov set to tighten grip after polls [Oct 20, 2011] SOFIA (Reuters) - Bulgaria's Prime Minister Boiko Borisov is set to tighten his grip on power in the European Union's poorest member in presidential and local elections on Sunday, after a campaign marred by protests and violence. [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria Ranked in EU Bottom by Teacher Pay [Oct 04, 2011] Teachers' salaries in Bulgaria are the lowest in the European Union, according to a report which compares the salaries of public-sector teachers and school heads in 27 EU Member States, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Turkey. The data, based on the 2009/10 school year, covers pre-primary to upper secondary education. The report, compiled by the European Commission's Eurydice network, is ... [via YahooNews] More >>