Bulgaria's finance minister, who was initially targeting rapid accession to the euro zone, has confirmed the country is in no hurry to adopt the single currency.
"We will not make any move toward the switchover in the next two years," Simeon Djankov told reporters in Vienna on Thursday.
The statement is in line with the opinion of local analysts, who have tried to tone down the cabinet's enthusiasm for adopting rapidly the common European currency, saying it makes more sense for the...
Bulgaria's Currency Board Is Super Stable
(Sofia, Jan 12) - "The currency board functioning in Bulgaria is super-stable," the monthly analysis of Raiffeissen Bank Bulgaria reads.
The experts have calculated that at the end of November 2012 the currency board's reserves amount to 15.1 billion euro, which is an increase by 2.2 million euro from a month ago.
The board's reserves have increased by 1.9 billion euro (14.4%) year-on-year, which is a surplus of about 89% to the minimum...
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has revised upwards its forecast for Bulgaria's economic growth in 2013 from 1.7% to 1.9%.
The bank cut its forecast for economic growth in October last year from 2.5% in the previous report published in May to 1.7%, citing slumping exports.
"Recovery is expected to continue to be modest in Bulgaria into 2012, due mainly to sluggish export demand. Growth in 2012 is likely to have ended up at around 1% only, with a modest forecast...
A total of 21% of the eligible voters cast their votes in Bulgaria's nuclear energy referendum on Sunday, according to data from the 100% completed parallel vote count by polling agency Alpha Research.
The agency said this meant about 1.4 million voters cast their votes in Bulgaria on Sunday; of those, 61% voted in favor of the construction of a second nuclear power plant, and 39% voted against.
The Bulgarian citizens were supposed to answer "yes" or "no" to the following question:...
PES and Bulgarian Socialist Party chair Sergey Stanishev should resign over the outcome of Sunday's referendum on nuclear energy in Bulgaria, stated Minister of Finance Simeon Djankov.
As results from exit polls come in, political leaders have engaged in a heated battle of interpretations on the outcome.
Some 60% of ballots cast answered positively to the referendum question - whether Bulgaria needs a new NPP - the position supported by the Bulgarian Socialist Party.
The turnout is...
The Bulgarian government should impose a moratorium on the Belene NPP project until an overall energy strategy is drafted, according to Meglena Kuneva, former EU Commissioner and leader of the Bulgaria for Citizens party.
She says that the fact that the center-right ruling party GERB and the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) have reached consensus on the matter raises suspicion.
Kuneva suggests that the actual goal of the referendum is to tie the next government down to a...
The right-wing Blue Coalition has requested from Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev and Chief Prosecutor, Boris Velchev, to ask the Constitutional Court to elaborate on the upcoming referendum on the fate of the Belene Nuclear Power Plant project.
The Blues insist the Court must have a say in explaining the law before the Parliament passes the decision, the Bulgarian online news agency Dnevnik reports.
According to the law, the Constitutional Court must act on the request of at least...
The upcoming referendum on the fate of Bulgaria's Belene Nuclear Power project is a provocation made by the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), according to the right-wing Blue Coalition.
"In our opinion, the referendum is a deliberate provocation made by BSP," Blue Coalition co-chair Martin Dimitrov told reporters on Friday. According to Dimitrov, the left wingers are fully aware that the question they have posed for the referendum is anti-constitutional.
As the Blue Coalition has pointed...
Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev is holding Friday political consultations for the upcoming referendum on the fate of the project to build a second Nuclear Power Plant in the Danube town of Belene.
Plevneliev is convinced that the referendum is a test for democracy and must be held.
The consultations will include parliamentary represented political parties in an attempt to reach consensus on the wording of the question to be asked.
They will be held in the Presidential building,...
The upcoming referendum on the fate of Bulgaria's Belene nuclear power plant will prove that the project is pointless, according to Interior Minister Tsvetan Tstevatov.
On Friday, Tsvetanov reiterated that the former socialist-led three-way coalition would have fulfilled the project if it was favorable for Bulgaria.
"They had the executive power, they had the legislative power, they had the presidential power...but they knew what the dangers were," he told reporters, referring to the...
The vote in the January 27, 2013, national referendum on development of atomic energy in Bulgaria will be organized in the same manner as any election.
The spokesperson of the Central Electoral Commission, CEC, Bisser Troyanov, explained at a press conference that the referendum will be held in adherence to the Election Code since the Act for Direct Participation of Citizens in the Rule of the State and in Local Rule was too "scarce" without any detailed regulations.
The voters will...
Bulgaria will "logically" go for building a seventh reactor at its existing NPP in Kozloduy, Bulgarian Economy Minister Delyan Dobrev commented Sunday on the results of the nation's referendum on the construction of a second nuclear plant.
Bulgaria's referendum, which had a voter turnout of only 22%, with 61% voting in favor of the construction of a second nuclear power plant in Bulgaria, while 39% voted against, implicitly referred to the project for the construction of the 2000-MW Belene...
Valentin Nikolov, CEO of the Kozloduy NPP, has said that a seventh unit at the plant could be functional by 2020 or 2022.
In a Monday interview for Nova TV, he suggested that the project for building a seventh unit at the nuclear power plant in Kozloduy had already attracted serious investor interest but he did not disclose details.
He suggested that there was already investor interest in the project but did not disclose details.
"In 20 years' time, when the exploitation deadline of...
Bulgaria's Education Minister, Sergey Ignatov, has resigned from the post.
Ignatov has submitted his resignation on the request of Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, the Cabinet's press office informs Monday.
The news broke just hours after the resignation of the manager of Bulgaria's embattled and scandal-ridden Scientific Research Fund, Hristo Petrov.
Petrov's resignation was also immediately accepted by Borisov.
The manager deposited his resignation after it emerged that a probe of...
Bulgaria's new Chief Prosecutor Sotir Tsatsarov will make his first visit to Brussels accompanied by Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov and Justice Minister Diana Kovacheva.
Tsatsarov will meet with EC Secretary-General Catherine Day and OLAF Director General Giovanni Kessler on January 29, according to the press office of Bulgaria's prosecuting authority.
Meanwhile, Tsvetanov will take part in a high-level international conference on countering violent extremism organized by Home...
Bulgarian Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, is proposing to the Cabinet to dismiss from the post the Chairman of the State Commission for Energy and Water Regulation, DKEVR, Angel Semerdzhiev.
The proposal is connected with the delay and lack of a number of administrative acts from the Electricity and Gas Directives, requested by the European Commission.
It was reported last Thursday that EC is referring Bulgaria, Estonia and the United Kingdom to the Court of Justice of the European Union...
Valentin Nikolov, CEO of the Kozloduy NPP, has said that a seventh unit at the plant could be functional by 2020 or 2022.
In a Monday interview for Nova TV, he suggested that the project for building a seventh unit at the nuclear power plant in Kozloduy had already attracted serious investor interest but he did not disclose details.
He suggested that there was already investor interest in the project but did not disclose details.
"In 20 years' time, when the exploitation deadline of...
A controversial referendum on whether to build a new nuclear power plant in Bulgaria appears to have been invalidated by low turnout.
An exit poll put turnout at around 20% - far below the 60% required for the poll, which was called on the basis of an opposition petition.
The opposition Socialists want the centre-right government to reverse its decision not to build the plant.
The poll has been seen as a barometer for elections later this year.
It was also important as a measure of...
Bulgaria's next referendum should be on an important environmental topic, according to Finance Minister Simeon Djankov.
In a Monday interview for Nova TV, he suggested that the next referendum could involve the statute of the Bulgarian Black Sea coast.
Djankov informed that he had abstained from voting at the January 27 nuclear referendum because the issue required expert knowledge and could not be sold through a plebiscite.
He claimed that the only good thing about Sunday's referendum...
Bulgaria's Parliament has adopted at first reading amendments to the Energy Efficiency Act.
The amendments initiated by the government were passed Friday with 79 votes in favor, 3 against, and 14 abstainees, according to reports of the Focus news agency.
The amendments envisage drafting a national plan for increasing the number of nearly zero-energy buildings and the introduction of energy performance certificates of buildings and building components.
During the discussion of the bill,...
Another euro-pegged government defending an overvalued exchange rate bites the dust, a reminder that the underlying economic and social disaster across the Europe's Arc of Depression is still getting worse.
Bulgarian prime minister Boiko Borisov resigned Wednesday morning after days of mass protests against austerity across the country.
"I will not participate in a government under which police are beating people. Every drop of blood is a shame for us," he said. "Our power was handed to...
Around 500 members of the Anti-mafia civic association are protesting in front of the President's Office in Sofia, prior to the anticipated official statement of Rosen Plevneliev on the situation in the country in the aftermath of the collective resignation of the government.
According to reports of the Bulgarian National Radio (BNR), the people are voicing their discontent with the judiciary, saying that the head of state is currently the only guarantor of statehood in the...
The European Union's Agriculture Ministers have gathered in Brussels for talks that are focused on the growing horsemeat scandal in Europe.
Authorities across Europe have started doing random DNA checks after traces of horse meat recently turned up in frozen supermarket meals such as burgers and lasagna.
The scandal erupted last month when horsemeat was found in some beef meals and burgers in the UK and Ireland.
Since then, supermarkets across Europe have had to withdraw affected...
The Bulgarian Parliament will hold an emergency sitting Tuesday to decide on the fate of the project to build a second Nuclear Power Plant in the Danube town of Belene.
The reason for the above are the results of the January 27 referendum on the development of nuclear energy in Bulgaria through the construction of a new nuclear power plant, which showed that the issue would be conclusively decided by Bulgaria's Parliament.
Under the law, the recent referendum results impose for the Belene...
Clashes with the police marked Sunday the protest rally in Bulgaria's Black Sea city of Varna.
Bulgarians across the country staged once again demonstrations against high utility bills, monopolies, poverty, economic stagnation, corruption, and the political model of ruling the country after the fall of the Communist regime in 1989.
The rallies, however, did not bring together as many people as previous weekend marches.
The largest one was once again held in Varna where 2 000 (compared...
The Bulgarian government will within 10 days appoint an international auditor to review the country's energy sector, stated caretaker Minister of Regional Development Ekaterina Zaharieva.
"We need a full financial analysis of everyone in the energy sector. We will work in full cooperation with the European Commissions, so that no doubts be thrown on the final report," said Zaharieva.
The minister added that this would bring full transparency in the sector, something requested by numerous...
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia are interested in investing in Bulgaria's farming, Bulgarian Agriculture Minister, Miroslav Naydenov, informs.
Naydenov made the statement Tuesday after talks with his Saudi counterpart, Dr Fahd bin Abdulrahman bin Sulaiman Balghunaim, and with the UAE Minister of Environment and Water, Dr Rashid Bin Fahd.
According to the Bulgarian Minister, the two Arab countries want to finance various project in Bulgaria's grain and vegetable production...
Bulgaria's finance minister has confirmed the government's revamped euro bid plans, saying in an interview for CNN that the eurozone needs countries with tight fiscal policies like Bulgaria.
"The Bulgarian currency the lev has been tied to the euro since 1999, so in a way we are already in a situation where it is as if we have the euro. I frankly think the eurozone needs countries like Bulgaria with tight fiscal policies more than these countries need it," Djankov said in an interview for...
Bulgaria’s Economy Minister, Traicho Traikov, and the World Bank resident representative in Bulgaria, Markus Repnik, will open a forum, presenting a series of reports, in Sofia.
The main topic of the World Bank forum “Better regulation for higher growth” will be connected to possibilities for improving the business environment in Bulgaria.
Government officials, members of the European Commission, business associations and civil society will participate in the discussions.
The...
Bulgaria and Greece are to start a common agricultural advertising campaign, Bulgarian Agricultural Minister Miroslav Naydenov and his Greek counterpart Kostas Skandalidis revealed.
Bulgaria will advertise its meat products and vegetables, while Greece will attract attention to its olive oil. The campaign will take place as well in EU member states as in third countries.
"Romania may also be included in the common campaign," Minister Naydenov added.
Skandalidis and Naydenov decisively...
Russia has requested the maximum possible price for the Belene NPP project in Saturday's negotiations, revealed Bulgarian Minister of Economy and Energy Traicho Traikov Tuesday.
The price of Belene NPP had been set initially at EUR 4 B with possible escalation, but Saturday the Russian party had requested the maximum raise previewed, which makes the total price some BGN 6.3 B.
"We must change the metaphor for Belene NPP. You've got a car that can cost only EUR 4 B when painted white and...
Bulgaria remains one of Europe's biggest recipients of remittances in 2010, according to the latest "Migration and Remittances Factbook" by the World Bank.
Based on the country rankings shown in the report, remittances to Bulgaria are estimated to reach nearly USD 1.6 B for the entire 2010, staying more or less flat over the previous year, when migrants sent home remittances to the order of an estimated 5.3% of GDP .
Remittances from migrant workers are a lifeline to large sections of the...
Bulgaria's industrial output went up by 9.3% in September 2010 year-on-year, according to the latest data of the National Statistical Institute.
The growth in the extracting industry is 18%, while the processing industry grew by 13%; the production of electricity and gas is down by 3.6%.
Compared with August 2010, the growth of the Bulgarian industry in September 2010 is 1.6%, with the extracting industry growing by 3.1%, the processing industry – by 2.8%, and the production of...
Bulgaria's wine exports could be increased by boosting the respective image-making efforts, according to Plamen Mollov, a former MP and honorary head of the Bulgarian Food and Drinks Industry Association.
"Bulgaria must boost the image of its wine and decide how to position itself on the world wine market. The international competition is becoming increasingly rigorous which makes it essential that Bulgaria should find a niche," Mollov recommended speaking on the Bulgarian National...
Bulgaria will continue in a course of gradual raise in the excise of raw cut tobacco with state budget 2011, which previews a rate of BGN 130 per kg.
This was revealed by ruling GERB party MP Dimitar Glavchev, who said that the Parliamentary Budget Committee has fully consulted all stakeholders in tobacco production when determining the rate at which the excise will be increasing.
The decision reached was to raise the excise with 20% and then to continue raising it symmetrically with the...
Bulgaria's agriculture has reached a "threateningly" high increase as a share of the country's GDP, according to Agriculture Minister Miroslav Naydenov.
Naydenov said Bulgaria's monthly trade surplus in August, the first in ten years, was largely due to the rise in exports of agriculture products.
He did not specify why exactly he termed the growth of agriculture as a GDP share as "threatening", and where he sees reasons for concern in that.
The Agriculture Minister awarded Thursday...
Bulgaria's competition watchdog said it would allow Russian mining and steel conglomerate Mechel to buy out 51% of the shares it does not own yet in the heating and power plant in the town of Russe on the Danube in northern Bulgaria from Slovenia's Holding Slovenske Elektrarne.
The proposed deal would not have any negative impact on the central heating or electricity market in Bulgaria, the state regulator, Commission for Protection of Competition (CPC), said in a statement.
In December...
The spare parts needed by Bulgaria's Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) Kozloduy arrived in Bulgaria overnight with an IL-16 aircraft of the "Volga-Dnepr" airline, the Bulgarian National Radio, BNR, reports Saturday.
Minutes after the plane's landing, at 2 am local time at the Sofia airport, the pipes have been loaded on trucks, which left for the Danube town of Kozloduy. Their installation is to last about one week, experts say.
On October 19, Economy and Energy Minister, Traicho Traikov,...
The Russian Gazprom and the Bulgarian Energy Holding (BEH) have signed an agreement for the execution of the technology and economy validation of the Bulgarian segment of the South Stream gas pipe line.
The information was reported Saturday by the Bulgarian National Radio (BNR).
The agreement has been concluded according to the terms reached during the visit of the Gazprom CEO Alexey Miller in Sofia last week.
The agreement is a fresh start in the work on the Russian project in...
Russia's state energy company Inter RAO will most likely pay EUR 600 M to Italy's Enel SpA for a majority stake in Bulgaria's Maritsa East 3 coal-fired power plan, according to reports.
The deal is expected to be finalized before the end of 2010, according to reports in the Italian media.
Inter RAO, Austrian energy company EVN, British utility International Power, US power producer AES Corp. and CEZ AS are said to have shown interest in acquiring Enel majority stake in Maritsa East...
Bulgaria and Turkey intend to launch a ferry line connecting the Black Sea port of Varna with the Turkish ports Zonguldak and Samsun.
The new ferry like deal is expected to be a follow-up of a new Agreement for International Transport of Freight and Passengers between the Republic of Bulgaria and the Republic of Turkey signed during the 23rd session of the Bulgarian-Turkish Transport Commission, which took place in Istanbul over the week.
The new Agreement will replace the previous one,...
The average apartment price in Bulgaria declined by 6% in July-September 2010, year-on-year, according to data of the National Statistical Institute.
Thus, in the second quarter of 2010, a square meter of apartment space cost BGN 959.79 on average.
Compared with the second quarter of the year, the average apartment price went down by 1.2%.
The highest average price per square meter is in Sofia – BGN 1592.58, Varna – BGN 1592.58, and Burgas – BGN 1164.88. The apartments in...
Musala Soft, a leading Bulgarian software company, announced it is participating in a project for leading Qatar telecom QTel.
Experts of Musala Soft, in conjunction with partners from US-based TIBCO, are working to improve and integrate functionalities in the QTel system.
Musala Soft president Elena Marinova comments that this is a part of an expansion campaign to the Middle East and the rest of Asia.
"The global economic environment is a stimulus for controlled investment and...
The Bulgarian and Russian governments have formally agreed to set up the South Stream pipeline joint venture by November 15, according to information from the Russian cabinet.
This was agreed during a phone conversation between the two countries PMs, Boyko Borisov and Vladimir Putin. Borisov and Putin expressed satisfaction at the way the joint work on South Stream is progressing.
The South Stream gas transit pipeline is supposed to be ready by 2015. Its construction is expected to cost...
Bulgaria ranks fifth in the world in quality of broadband Internet, according to results of a research by Cisco Systems Inc, conducted by the Oxford University.
The first four places are taken by South Korea, Japan and Sweden, while countries like Finland, Romania and Denmark are placed after Bulgaria.
Among the cities, Sofia ranks 11th in quality of the Internet connection, followed by Lisbon, New York City, Hong Kong, Paris and Copenhagen.
"Having in mind the Internet speed, I would...
Bulgaria's export has again registered a substantial growth in August, 2010, on annual basis, data published Monday by the National Statistics Institute shows.
The export was up 32.2% compared to August, 2009, reaching BNG 2.8 B.
In August, Bulgaria has a surplus in its trade balance of BGN 51.4 M, but it has been negative in the first 8 months of the year by BGN 2.6 B.
The export of Bulgarian companies is growing with double digits since the beginning of the year, seen by experts as a...