CEZ

Reports by a Prague-based new agency, CeskeNoviny, on Monday - that the Czech Republic might block Albania’s bid to obtain EU candidate status this summer - have caused concern in Tirana.

The alleged cause of the potential blockade is the ongoing dispute between Albania and the Czech power company, CEZ.

Power distributor CEZ has proposed a settlement to the Bulgarian National Electricity Company (NEK), officials from the state-owned utility announced Monday. On Tuesday CEZ sent a letter to NEK saying it was ready to engage in a dialogue over its debts to NEK.

Three power distributors operating in Bularia have demanded an increase in prices starting July 2014.

Czech-based CEZ and Energo-Pro have insisted that prices go up 13-14%, while Austrian EVN requested an 8% hike, BGNES news agency has reported, citing Bulgarian energy watchdog DKEVR's head Boyan Boev.

Varna's Thermal Power Station is still waiting for BGN 35.4 M of payments by Bulgarian State Electricity Company (NEK).

Representatives of the company managing the power station, which is part of Czech energy group CEZ (one of Bulgaria's three power distributors), announced that NEK has not paid its debts to their subsidiaries for months, Dnevnik.bg has reported.

Power distributor EVN declared it will not make any payments to Bulgaria's National Electricity Company (NEK) on Friday.

Economy and Energy Minister Dragomir Stoynev informed that the National Electric Company (NEK) had not received payments from the power distributors by Tuesday.

Prices of electricity might go up if power distributors can prove their expenses have increased.

Bulgaria's State Commission for Energy and Water Regulation is to decide Wednesday on a procedure for the termination of the licenses of the three power distributors.

Bulgarian Energy Minister Dragomir Stoynev has warned power distributors that they may face nationalization unless they pay debts to the National Electric Company (NEK).

Speaking Monday in Plovdiv, Stoynev noted that CEZ, EVN and Energo-Pro, the three power distributors operating in the country, had to pay their debts of over BGN 318 M to the financially troubled NEK.