European Union law

In a ruling on Tuesday, the Council of State, Greece's highest administrative court, deconstructed all the arguments in favor of the bonuses included in the building regulation which can enable the construction of taller buildings.

Two officials from state-owned Hellenic Railways have been released after testifying before an examining magistrate but had to pay large sums for bail.

The two are among those being investigated by the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) over a contract for the upgrade of the railways' signaling system and remote control.

Greece's ruling conservatives have accused the leftist SYRIZA opposition of undermining the country's democracy after a senior official suggested that it would be a "blessing" if the EU's chief prosecutor investigating the 2013 Tempe railway disaster could potentially oust the government.

In response to the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, the European Commission has greenlit a significant aid package for Bulgarian farmers, totaling approximately 86.9 million euros (equivalent to 170 million leva). The scheme aims to provide essential support to farmers facing financial hardships due to market disruptions caused by the war.

Two executives of ERGOSE, the projects branch of the Hellenic Railways Organization (OSE), were ordered to post a 600,000-euro and 500,000-euro bail, respectively, before being released from jail on Thursday as part of a European probe into a deadly train collision last year, and specifically the implementation of Contract 717 for the automatic operation and signaling of the railway network. 

As expected, the parliamentary debate on Wednesday on the findings of the committee of inquiry into the deadly February 2023 railway accident at Tempe was overshadowed by the acrimony between the government and opposition parties.

Border checks between Bulgaria and Romania along the Danube River are set to persist post-March 31, even as both nations anticipate their admission into the Schengen zone by air and sea. This revelation was disclosed to BNR by a source within the European Commission, shedding light on a significant hurdle in the path to seamless travel within the European Union.

Greek lawmakers on Wednesday will discuss the findings of a House committee probe into the deadly Tempe train crash, in what is expected to be a tense debate amid accusations of a cover-up by opposition parties.

The European Parliament's Petitions Committee is set to vote on a resolution advocating for the full acceptance of Bulgaria and Romania into the Schengen Area.

The Belgian Presidency of the EU is spearheading efforts to fully integrate Bulgaria and Romania into the Schengen area. A draft resolution, expected to be voted on today in the European Parliament's Committee on Petitions, underscores the urgency of addressing the border issues between the two countries and the rest of the Schengen zone.