Tag: Bulgaria

The European Anti-Fraud Office, OLAF, has launched an investigation into allegations that €50,000 in rural development funding was due to be paid for opening and running a Facebook page and a Twitter account in Bulgaria, EurActiv has learned.

Catherine Ashton, the EU's foreign policy chief, stopped short today (5 February) of linking Hezbollah to a terrorist attack at a Bulgarian airport last summer, despite recent findings suggesting the opposite. The Iranian-backed group is currently not on the EU list of terrorist organisations.

Bulgarians voted yesterday (27 January) in favour of building a new nuclear power plant in their first referendum in the post-communist era. However, due to the low turnout, the referendum result is not binding and the matter is referred to Parliament.

A Bulgarian broadcaster of pop-folk music and videos with often shocking sexually explicit content was selected for a €1-million grant under the EU’s Competitiveness Operative Programme. An outpouring of criticism through social media compelled the Commission to ask the the Bulgarian authorities to open an investigation.

Bulgaria’s highest juridical body is voting tomorrow (20 December) to appoint a new prosecutor general, amid warnings from the European Commission and NGOs over political interference and insufficient democratic safeguards.

Bulgaria has joined Greece in vetoing the opening of EU accession talks with Macedonia, despite a positive recommendation by the European Commission.

A two-day meeting of EU justice and home affairs ministers beginning today (25 October) in Luxembourg is set to “expedite” a safeguard clause, allowing visas to be re-introduced for Western Balkan citizens who abuse the asylum system of EU countries.

While there is significant disagreement within the Kremlin about how to deal with Sofia's challenge, Moscow is running out of ways to push Bulgaria into fast-tracking its commitment to South Stream, says Stratfor.

British Prime Minister David Cameron warned that he could veto the EU budget for 2014-2020 “if necessary”, and that measures would be taken to make sure that immigrants from EU countries would not take the jobs of fellow Britons.

The Congress of the Party of European Socialists elected Sergei Stanishev as their new leader. The chairman of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) and former Bulgarian prime minister clinched the office with 91.3% of the votes cast in an election held Saturday (29 September). 

Russia's Atomstroyexport is seeking €1 billion in compensation following Bulgaria’s decision to shelve plans for building the Belene nuclear power station near the River Danube. Dnevnik, EurActiv's partner publication in Bulgaria, reports.

Bulgaria has abandoned plans to adopt the single currency in response to deteriorating economic conditions and rising uncertainty over the prospects of the European Union, Finance Minister Simeon Djankov said in a newspaper interview.

Russia’s Gazprom and the Bulgarian government have reached a deal under which Bulgaria will commit to the developing the South Stream pipeline while simultaneously signing a long-term pricing agreement for Russian natural gas.

The French government will ask the Cyprus EU presidency to put the question of Roma inclusion on the agenda of the 18-19 October European summit, the government announced yesterday (22 August).

Rights groups have accused France’s Socialist leaders of abandoning electoral promises by continuing the arbitrary expulsions of Eastern European Roma that were begun under former President Nicolas Sarkozy.

An unprecedented terrorist attack shook the Bulgarian airport of Burgas yesterday (18 July) when a terrorist activated a bomb inside a bus packed with tourists freshly arrived from Israel for holidays in the Bulgarian Black Sea coast, killing at least eight and wounding 30. EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said she was “appalled” and “deeply shocked” by the attack.

Bulgaria and Romania are set to fail their biggest test since their accession on 1 January 2007 with the forthcoming publication of crucial progress reports on the reform of law enforcement.

Bulgaria's capital has been blocked by spontaneous protests against the country's new Forest Act, which  environmentalists say will lead to the plundering of the country’s woodland resources. Dnevnik, EurActiv’s partner publication in Bulgaria, reports.

Bulgaria and Russia have agreed that a final investment decision on the South Stream gas pipeline will be taken in November. Russia is speeding up construction of the pipeline, which will bring Russian gas through the Black Sea to Bulgaria and countries further west.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borrisov has fired a key minister and announced today (16 March) that the country would buy a Russian nuclear reactor. In previous statements, Borissov has strongly opposed further Russian nuclear energy projects.

Arguments presented by nine EU countries that have decided to maintain labour restrictions on Bulgarian and Romanian nationals are "unconvincing", said Employment and Social Affairs Commissioner László Andor.

The Commission unveiled yesterday (8 February) its latest reports on the progress of Romania and Bulgaria in stepping up law enforcement and the fight against corruption. The EU executive also called on civil society to help accelerate reforms in the two countries.

On the occasion of the first visit of new Bulgarian President Rossen Plevneliev to Brussels, Commission President José Manuel Barroso outlined an initiative to fight youth unemployment, which is most likely to be adopted at Monday's EU summit on growth and jobs.

Iceland has opened its doors to Bulgarian and Romanian workers, giving them the same rights of free movement and employment that other EU citizens have in the European Economic Area.