Expats

Bulgaria Needs Much Deeper Judicial Reform - EC Interim Report [Feb 08, 2012] Bulgaria has taken certain measures to improve its justice system and the persecution of organization crime but more convincing results are needed, according to the interim monitoring report of the European Commission on Bulgaria. The Commission's reports under the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism (CVM) are published twice a year to monitor Bulgaria's post-EU accession progress in certain ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria's Ruling GERB Outlines 2012 Priorities [Jan 11, 2012] Maintaining low deficit and financial stability, reforms in the health care and social sectors, application of new anti-corruption measures, are all among the priorities for 2012 outlined by the Parliamentary group of Bulgaria's ruling GERB party. The Chair of the group, Krasimir Velchev, who spoke Wednesday during the first session after the Members of the Parliament returned from their winter ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria Submits Nuclear Plant Stress Test Report [Jan 05, 2012] The management of the Nuclear Regulatory Agency is submitting Thursday Bulgaria's national report on stress tests at the Nuclear Power Plant, NPP, "Kozloduy" and for the NPP "Belene" project. Following the accident at earthquake-stricken Japanese NPP "Fukushima," all European nuclear plants were mandated to make similar stress checks to identify measures to improve safety. Already in November ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria's Employers Firmly Support Retirement Age Upping [Dec 10, 2011] If Bulgaria does not implement a pension reform now, it may have to make far more difficult decisions in the future, Bulgarian employers' organizations have stated. "While we fully understand that the measures undertaken are unpopular, we are convinced that it will be better if a decision is made now," the organizations have declared in a letter addressed to Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov ... [via YahooNews] More >>

FinMin: Bulgaria's Economy in Upswing, US, EU Must Learn from Us [Aug 16, 2011] Bulgaria's Cabinet is not drafting new anti-crisis measures because the Bulgarian economy is in an upswing, according to Finance Minister Simeon Djankov. "There is no risk of rising unemployment in Bulgaria. There is no risk for the deposits.... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria's 264 Municipalities Rally En Bloc against Plastic Bags [Jul 11, 2011] All 264 municipal mayors in Bulgaria have decided to stage a "day without plastic bags" on July 29, 2011. The the municipalities have rallied behind the idea to take serious measures against the use of plastic bags at a meeting of the National Association of Municipalities in the Republic of Bulgaria. Each municipality is going to decide for itself how to take part in the campaign. ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria Reports Moderate Progress in Cutting Red Tape [Jun 22, 2011] Bulgaria's Council of Ministers has approved a report on the implementation of the Action Plan for Reducing Administrative Burden by 20% by end-2012. The set of measures was agreed upon in end-April 2010 and the report spans the period from its introduction until March 2011. The Action Plan envisages a total of 135 measures divided into categories according to the five-component model for ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria, Romania Ready to Join Schengen, Says European Parliament [Jun 08, 2011] The European Parliament has given almost unanimously its green light for Bulgaria and Romania to join the Schengen border check-free area. The two countries have met the entry conditions, based on Commission progress reports, the MEPs said on Wednesday, but added that Parliament should be kept informed of additional measures taken in the Bulgaria-Turkey-Greece area to cope with a possible surge ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria to Turn EU's Poorest Region into 'Tax Paradise' [Apr 21, 2011] Bulgaria's Cabinet intends to take measures to encourage foreign direct investment in the northwestern part of the country, the Severozapaden region, which is the poorest EU region. Finance Minister Simoen Djankov will propose that the state lower the criteria for receiving a "Class A" investor status for companies in investing in Northwestern Bulgaria, MP from ruling party GERB Nikolay Kotsev ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria Shoots for R&D Spending of 1.5% of GDP in 2020 [Mar 28, 2011] Bulgaria's Finance Ministry has unveiled a "National Program for Reforms 2015" designed to boost economic and labor competitiveness with a variety of measures within EU's "Europe 2020" strategy. The National Reform Program was presented Monday by Deputy Finance Minister Boryana Pencheva at a public discussion at the Council of Ministers in Sofia, including EU Funds Minister Tomislav Donchev as ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria's Govt to Tackle 'Brown Bear-Human' Conflict [Mar 24, 2011] Bulgaria's Environment Ministry has crafted a curiously entitled project - "Plan for Dealing with the Brown Bear-Human Conflict" to address the 2010 incidents of killer bear attacks. The plan proposes to resolve the "brown bear-human" conflict by introducing several measures said to help manage the population of brown bears in Southern Bulgaria. In 2010, there were two cases of killer bear ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria Cabinet with New Attempt to Tame Fuel Prices [Mar 23, 2011] Bulgarian freight careers, merchants and manufacturers of fuels are meeting Wednesday with the Economy and Energy Minister, Transports and Finance Ministers, to discuss measures to lower the skyrocketing fuel prices in the country. The meeting comes exactly a week after the same debate was held for the first time, where participants agreed on three measures to lower mainly diesel prices ? two ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria Footballers to Face the Music Again over Tax Frauds [Mar 15, 2011] Bulgaria's national revenue agency announced it will continue to investigate local football clubs for possible tax evasion as part of measures to curb rampant fraud and boost budget revenues. The probe is a follow-up to previous checks of Bulgarian players and top flight clubs that revealed millions of levs of unpaid taxes and social securities. It has been prompted by suspicions of hidden ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria Comes Up with 11 New Schengen Measures [Mar 02, 2011] The Bulgarian government enlarged the list of measures which are supposed to help the country in its efforts to join the Schenggen Agreement as soon as possible. The 11 new measures aim at improving and maintaining the transport infrastructure around the Kalotina border checkpoint with Serbia, the Gyueshevo border checkpoint with Macedonia, as well as Kapiatan Andreevo, Lesovo and Malko Tarnovo ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria to enshrine 'debt alert mechanism' in constitution [Feb 24, 2011] EU newcomer Bulgaria became the first country to try to adopt internally a series of measures emulating the EU 'Competitiveness Pact' proposed by France and Germany, including adding to the country's constitution a 'debt alert mechanism'. [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria to Enshrine 'Debt Alert Mechanism' in Constitution [Feb 24, 2011] EurActiv EU newcomer Bulgaria became the first country to try to adopt internally a series of measures emulating the EU 'Competitiveness Pact' proposed by France and Germany, including adding to the country's constitution a 'debt alert mechanism'. Bulgarian Finance Minister Simeon Djankov presented on 22 February plans for a 'Pact for Financial Stability'. ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria Opens Public Debate on Financial Stability Pact [Feb 17, 2011] Bulgaria's government plans to begin next week a public debate on proposed constitutional amendments designed to bolster and guarantee the country's financial stability, the finance minister has said. "With these measures we want to show the Bulagrian citizens, the Europeans and the world that Bulgaria will be the country with the most stable financial and tax policy in Europe," Minister Simeon ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria's Finance Minister Reveals Plan for Financial Stability Pact' [Feb 08, 2011] Bulgaria's Finance Minister Simeon Djankov has officially announced proposed Constitution amendments designed to bolster and guarantee the country's financial stability. The measures termed "Financial Stability Pact" were announced by Djankov on Tuesday at a lecture at the New Bulgarian University in Sofia following the US tradition in which crucial policy speeches are delivered at academic ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria Slow in Implementing Schengen Measures [Feb 06, 2011] Bulgaria is lagging behind in the implementation of the measures set by its national action plan for entering the Schengen agreement, according to the Open Society Institute's latest report. As of January 31 2011, 117 of the total of 159 measures have been taken, 15 are supposed to be implemented by March 31 and 27 have not been taken in time. However, effective measures have taken in January on ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria Govt Stands Firmly by 2013 Referendum on Taxes [Feb 04, 2011] Bulgaria's finance minister has fervently defended his suggestion for raising direct taxes only by referendum in the future, which opponents have slammed as an impracticable and cowardly idea. "I call these measures the Financial Stability Pact, as they aim to guarantee Bulgaria's financial discipline and economic stability in the long term," Minister Simeon Djankov said on Friday from the ... [via YahooNews] More >>