Latest News from Bulgaria
EU CVM Report Urges Bulgaria To Speed Up Judicial Reform
The EU Commission on Wednesday urged Bulgaria to step up efforts to reform its judiciary. The country, which joined the EU in 2007, should follow the Commission's "specific recommendations in the areas of independence, accountability and integrity of the judiciary; reform strategies for the judicial system; efficiency of the judicial system; corruption; and organised crime.'' In its report unde
Bulgarian Business Sentiment Improves in January
Bulgaria's overall buisness climate indicator has risen by 3.8 percentage points in January compared with the previous month, a new survey showed on Wednesday.
EU Blasts at Bulgaria's High-Level Corruption in New CVM Report
High-level corruption, independence of the judiciary and low rates of criminal conviction have been identified as the main problem areas for Bulgaria in the upcoming monitoring report by the European Commission.
The report under the EU's Cooperation and Verification Mechanism (CVM) is expected to be released later on Wednesday.
Bulgarian State Railways Struggling To Stay Afloat
Bulgarian railways company BDZ posted a loss of BGN 51 M (EUR 25.5M) last year, Executive Director Vladimir Vladimirov said on Wednesday, highlighting an urgent need to overhaul the state-owned firm.
There will be no chance for improvement if reforms are not implemented, Vladimirov told Nova TV.
Talks over gas discount with Russia promising, says Turkish minister
Negotiations with Russia over a discount in the price of natural gas via a new gas pipeline to Turkey "look promising," Turkish Energy Minister Taner Y?ld?z said late on Jan. 27.
Y?ld?z told private broadcaster NTV that two previous meetings were "not successful," but ongoing talks with Gazprom CEO Alexey Miller were more promising.
Bulgaria Records Progress in Economic Freedom - NGO
According to the 2015 Index of Economic Freedom, published by the Heritage Foundation, Bulgarian economy is moderately free.
Bulgaria has an economic freedom score of 66.8, which represents an improvement of 1.1 points compared to the previous year.
Free Chinese Cinema Festival to Take Place in Sofia
The Festival of Contemporary Chinese Cinema will take place in Bulgaria's capital between 6 and 13 February.
Everyone interested in the Chinese culture and arts will have the opportunity to watch all nine movies for free. The predominant genre of the selection is drama, but several thrillers and comedies can also be seen.
Bulgarian MPs Reject Proposal for Limiting Sanctions Against Russia
The Bulgarian Parliament rejected on Wednesday to include the proposal, which calls for limiting the extension of sanctions against Russia, for discussion in its weekly agenda.
The proposal of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) was first rejected by the parliamentary Foreign Policy Committee on January 21, daily Dnevnik reports.
Incumbent, Former Bulgarian Presidents Gather in Council
Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev is to chair the Council of Presidents on Wednesday for the third consecutive year.
Plevneliev initiated this practice on January 22, 2013, when he gathered his predecessors on the completion of his first year in office.
Healthcare in Bulgaria Ranks Among Poorest in Europe
The healthcare services provided in Bulgaria rank among the poorest in Europe, according to the Euro Health Consumer Index (EHCI) released by the Health Consumer Powerhouse on Tuesday.
Bulgaria obtained 547 out of 1000 possible points, ranking 30th out of 36 countries included in the survey.
Yonko Grozev Elected as Bulgaria's Judge to ECHR
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) elected Yonko Grozev as a judge to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in respect of Bulgaria on Tuesday.
Grozev was elected with an absolute majority for a non-renewable term of nine years, winning 108 out of the 202 votes that were cast in total.
Gazprom Plans to Start Pumping Gas to Turkey via New Pipeline in Dec 2016
Russia's Gazprom said on Tuesday a planned gas pipeline to Turkey will become operational by the end of next year.
Sofia Marks Holocaust Remembrance Day with Education, Memory on Focus
"It's difficult in times like these: ideals, dreams and cherished hopes rise within us, only to be crushed by grim reality. It's a wonder I haven't abandoned all my ideals, they seem so absurd and impractical. Yet I cling to them because I still believe, in spite of everything, that people are truly good at heart."
Bulgarian Appeals Court Delays Hearings in Radical Islam Case
A Bulgarian court of appeal on Tuesday granted a defence request to postpone hearings in the case of 13 Bulgarian Muslim clerics sentenced for preaching radical Islam.
The lawyers of the defendants have asked the Appeals Court in the city of Plovdiv, in southern Bulgaria, to allow new evidence, according to BGNES news outlet.
Bulgaria Plans To Use Electronic Tagging of Offenders Under House Arrest
Bulgaria's judicial authorities plan to introduce electronic tagging of criminal offenders put under house arrest, a prison system official said on Tuesday.
Currently, the electronic monitoring devices are used to track the movement of convicts sentenced to prison terms and released on probation, Valentina Karaganova, head of the project, told Nova TV station on Tuesday.