Новости за 01.02.2017

Italy has established a special fund for helping African countries close their borders more successfully in an attempt to prevent migrants from boarding often lethal vessels and travelling to Europe, reported the Foreign Minister of Italy.

Macedonia’s President Gjorge Ivanov could not hand a mandate for forming a government to the leader of the second party in Macedonia’s Parliament – the opposition SDSM, stated its leader Zoran Zaev after meeting the head of state, reported BGNES.

In the near future, Hungary could join the projects of Gazprom North stream and Turkish Stream, announced Yuri Ushakov, aide to Russia’s President on the eve of Putin’s visit to Budapest.

The permanent representatives of EU member-states agreed to extend the emergency border control within the Schengen area by three months until the middle of May.

The increase in the price of water in Sofia cannot be less than 18%, while the price change will probably come into effect as of March 1, said in an interview the member of the Energy and Water Regulatory Commission (KEVR) Dimitar Kochkov.

Romania’s Supreme Council of Magistracy will appeal in court the decree of the government which grants amnesty for several crimes related to abuse of office.

Europeans with dual citizenship will be able to travel to the USA without any impediments, even if their second passport is from one of the seven countries banned for entry by US President Donald Trump, stated Federica Mogherini High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy before the European Parliament.

The Federation Council of Russia has approved the law for the ratification of the agreement between the governments of Russia and Turkey on the Turkish Stream pipeline.

On the occasion of the Day of Gratitude and Homage to the Victims of the Communist Regime, President Rumen Radev stated that the painful divisions in society may be overcome by telling the whole truth and “not trading with the past”.

The Council of Ministers will respect the decision of the Supreme Administrative Court on making sure that electronic voting is enabled at every polling station for the snap parliamentary elections on March 26, announced the press service of the Council of Ministers.

By order of interim Prime Minister Ognyan Gerdzhikov four more Deputy Ministers have been appointed. The nominations were made by the respective interim ministers, reported the government press service.

The European Commission has warned the government in Romania not to ruin the results achieved in combating corruption.

Bulgaria ranks as "Free" according to Freedom in the World 2017, Freedom House’s annual report on political rights and civil liberties.

However, the country has been given 80 points, the lowest score after Hungary (76) among EU member states. Neighboring members Greece and Romania get 84 points each (100 being the best result), while the newest member Croatia has 87 points. Freedom House also recalls in its report Bulgaria's status as Partly Free in the Freedom of the Press report published last spring. Читать дальше...

The head of Bulgaria's executive agency allocating EU subsidies to farmers has stepped down at the request of the country's caretaker Agriculture Minister.

Rumen Porozhanov, in office since November 2014 (and, prior to that, between 2011 and 2013), has deposited his resignation, the agricultural fund's press office says.

Earlier on Wednesday, interim Agriculture Minister Hristo Bozukov called on Porozhanov to step down within an hour.

Interim Agriculture Minister Hristo Bozukov has urged the chair of State Fund Agriculture, Rumen Porozhanov, to step down, his ministry says.

It quotes Bozukov as saying "public mistrust of the State Fund Agriculture", alongside "doubts about the legitimacy of the choice of a CEO" and a "court ruling to reinstate the previous leadership".

Another reason cited by Bozukov is tied to "irregularities" in some projects that have qualified for EU funding.

In a statement after noontime... Читать дальше...

The European Union on Wednesday reached a deal that will gradually phase out mobile roaming charges throughout the bloc, the European Parliament has announced.

Under the preliminary agreement,a cap will be put on wholesale mobile data prices at EUR 7.75 per gigabyte as of June 15 and it has to decrease gradually in the next few years.

The price will fall to EUR 6 in 2018, EUR 4.5 in 2019, EUR 3.5 in 2020, EUR 3 in 2021 and EUR 2.5 in 2022.

Data prices were the bone of contention in the talks leading to the deal. Читать дальше...

The Supreme Administrative Court has ruled Bulgarian authorities have to make sure electronic voting is enabled in every polling station in the country at the snap election scheduled for the end of March.

The ruling, which cannot be appealed, delivers a blow to both the interim cabinet and the Central Election Commission (CEC), which earlier this year stated only 500 polling locations would be equipped with voting machines.

Bulgaria needs 12 500 machines to carry through the vote successfully under the new legislation. Читать дальше...

Democrats for Strong Bulgaria (DSB) Chairman Radan Kanev on Tuesday became the chair of New Republic, which describes itself as a right-wing, non-partisan alliance.

At New Republic's founding assembly, three parties and three non-profit organizations declared themselves participants in the alliance.

Political organizations include DSB, a Plovdiv-based party called Union for Plovdiv, and the Bulgarian Democratic Community of Gospodin Tonev, the latter having been a candidate in last year's presidential election. Читать дальше...

Protesting Greek farmers have said they may step up pressure on the government by staging roadblocks on all thoroughfares leading to Thessaloniki in the country's north.

Their declarations come after traffic via the Kulata-Promachonas border crossing, between Greece and Bulgaria, was left paralyzed for a short time on Tuesday.

The plans announced by local media in Greece and quoted by the BNR's Greece-based correspondent give no clue whether a new blockade is planned near the border with Bulgaria. Читать дальше...

Czech-based holding CEZ said late in January it considered withdrawing from the Bulgarian market.

CEZ holds the biggest power supply business in Bulgaria (providing electricity to more than 3 million customers), with revenues to the tune of BGN 1.4 B, the biggest electricity distribution company, several hydropower plants, and a now defunct thermal power plant.

Companies from France, Turkey and Romania have already shown interest in a possible deal, alongside "local holdings" with no substantial presence in the energy sector... Читать дальше...

Bulgaria is marking the official Day of Gratitude and Homage to the Victims of the Communist Regime on Monday, he has urged Bulgarians to admit that "a quarter of a century after the fall of the Berlin Wall... no change of elites was carried out," leaving people linked to the BKP and its "ruthless" security services to dominate society.

Bulgaria began marking the anniversary in 2011, at the proposal of two former heads of state.

It is the date when the People's Tribunal sentenced to death 3 regents... Читать дальше...

Thousands took to the streets of Romania on Tuesday evening after the government decided to change criminal legislation by emergency ordinance, local media report.

Stefan Milev, a former prosecutor, has been appointed as chair of the Sofia Regional Court, Bulgarian media report.

Bulgaria's rating is upgraded from B to A4, in a 2017 forecast of Coface the global trade credit insurer.