About: Bulgaria

Neftohim refinery boss: Europe’s refining sector will consolidate, improve

The number of oil refineries in Europe is likely to decrease but those that remain will be truly competitive, highly technological and highly efficient, Ilshat Sharafutdinov told EURACTIV in an interview.

Bozhidar Danev: Part of Bulgaria’s fuel sector lies in the grey economy

Unusually low fuel prices in Bulgaria are probably the result of cartels, or contraband, Bozhidar Danev told EURACTIV.com in an exclusive interview, saying the authorities have  so far been unable or unwilling to address the issue.

Bulgarian President: I may be a general, but I don’t like warlike rhetoric

In a wide-ranging interview, Bulgarian President Rumen Radev, whose country takes over the EU's  rotating six-month Presidency in January, discussed European policies, the upcoming Bulgarian Presidency, and  his contradictions with Prime Minister Boyko Borissov.

Westinghouse: Only Ukraine applies EU’s nuclear diversification policy

EXCLUSIVE / Unlike the five EU member states with Russian-built nuclear power plants, Ukraine is the only country implementing EU requirements for diversified portfolios of fuel supply, Michael Kirst, an official at Westinghouse, told EURACTIV.com.

LUKoil vice president: EU taxes are killing the refinery business

LUKoil would be delighted to sell the EU gas, but it cannot, as Gazprom has a monopoly on Russia's gas exports. However, the gas LUKoil discovered on the Romanian shelf will directly supply the EU, Leonid Fedun told EURACTIV.com.

Russian ambassador: EU should realise its real friend is Moscow

Russia has had good bilateral contacts in recent months with a number of EU member states, the interruption in relations is taking place only at the level of the EU itself, the Russian Ambassador to the EU Vladimir Chizov told EURACTIV.com in an exclusive interview.

Bokova: My advantage is multiculturalism

In a wide-ranging interview with EURACTIV's Editor-in-Chief, Daniela Vincenti, Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO and candidate for the post of UN Secretary-General, spoke of her experience and goals, as well as discussed her strengths.

Bulgarian health minister: Drugs availability part of regional cooperation

Bulgaria and Romania will soon sign an intergovernmental agreement to jointly negotiate the pricing and availability of medicines with pharmaceutical companies, Bulgarian Health Minister Petar Moskov said in an interview with EURACTIV.com.

Ivan Krastev: Referendums cannot negotiate with each other

It is impossible that 20 % of the Dutch voters should take hostage of a common EU policy. The EU created a gifted class of intellectuals and bureaucrats and others, but they really lack a genuine political experience, Ivan Krastev told EURACTIV Slovakia in an exclusive interview.

Julian Popov: The future of gas in Europe is uncertain

Gas demand in Europe will most likely continue to decline. This is the reason why the competition for additional gas import infrastructure is so fierce and politicised - there is simply no need for more, Julian Popov told EURACTIV.com in an exclusive interview.

Sefcovic: Nord Stream is not in conformity with the Energy Union’s goals

The European Commission so far is only aware of general information about the project, and is therefore unable to make conclusive decisions, Commission Vice-President Maroš Šef?ovi? told EURACTIV in an exclusive interview.

Jean-Michel de Waele: ‘The European project needs to be re-established’

“The European model is dead,” Jean-Michel de Waele told EURACTIV in an exclusive interview. Our future model should be based on a core of six or seven countries that are capable of real political union.

Vestager: We should thank the Luxleaks whistleblowers

EXCLUSIVE / Margrethe Vestager, the EU’s powerful competition commissioner, believes “everyone should thank the whistleblowers and investigative journalists” who uncovered the so-called ‘Luxleaks’ scandal and says she is “personally in favour” of country-by-country reporting on corporate taxation.

Sefcovic: The Commission will respond to Nord Stream’s critics

Seven EU countries wrote to the European Commission, asking for the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project to be stopped. The entire College of Commissioners will prepare the response, Maroš Šef?ovi?, Vice-President of the European Commission for Energy Union, told EURACTIV in an exclusive interview.

MEP Gabriel: Member states must ensure decent maternal healthcare

Maternal mortality rates have declined significantly in recent decades, but could be reduced further if policymakers ensure decent maternal healthcare all over the EU, says Mariya Gabriel.

Vestager: Gazprom is partitioning markets in Central and Eastern Europe

Russia's Gazprom may have leveraged its dominant position by obtaining unrelated commitments on pipelines from its customers, as a condition of supplying gas to Bulgaria and Poland, says Margrethe Vestager.

Analyst: Politics have marred Bulgaria’s energy sector

Politicians in Bulgaria tend to forget national interests. The end result is that there are no big energy-related projects on the Bulgarian horizon – either in the sphere of electricity or in the sphere of gas, Slavcho Neykov, energy policy expert, told EURACTIV in an exclusive interview.

Westinghouse: Nuclear energy has a great future in Poland

The biggest single market for nuclear energy in Eastern Europe is Poland, says Mike Kirst, an official at Westinghouse, the US multinational providing fuel, services and equipment for the nuclear industry. Polish authorities have spoken of potentially building up to 11 nuclear reactors by 2030, Kirst told EURACTIV in an exclusive interview.

Jean-Michel de Waele: Orbán is more pro-Russian than the 1980 Hungarian communists

What Victor Orbán likes about Vladimir Putin is his model of state authoritarianism, his police state, and his grip on the media, Jean-Michel de Waele told EURACTIV in an exclusive interview.

Füle: Bulgaria and Romania’s accession questioned the credibility of EU enlargement

Member states and candidate countries have grown tired of the pace of the enlargement process, above all, the accession of Romania and Bulgaria, which raised a lot of questions about the credibility of the process, Enlargement Commissioner Štefan Füle told EURACTIV Czech Republic in an exclusive interview.

Green candidate: Merkel’s Roma policy is ‘inhumane’

Minority rights must be a priority in the EU and Commissioners should be better informed on issues related to Sinti and Roma. Despite anonymous death threats, Romeo Franz intends to be the first German Sinto in the European Parliament, he said in an interview with EURACTIV Germany.