October 21, 2009



The National Assembly has adopted at the sitting on October 21, 2009, on second reading, amendments to the Postal Services Act. They allow the postal operator to keep a shipment where there is reason to believe it contains any prohibited objects or substances. So far, the operator, in consultation with the authority performing the inspection, was required to ask for the mailer or recipient's written consent to open it, but was not able to keep it on hold. In the case of refusal or absence of reply the verifier had to notify the operator, who in turn - the competent authorities for further action.

The changes further stipulate that anyone who without a license, or after its expiration or suspension, provides or continues to provide an universal postal service or any part thereof, is punishable by a fine of BGN 10 000 to 20 000 - so far the financial penalty was between BGN 5000 to 15 000.

The individual license, granted to an operator of universal postal services on the territory of Bulgaria, obliges the latter to provide the service, and to carry out postal money orders. A part of the documents required so far, the application for individual license should be accompanied by a current certificate of registration in the Commercial Register. The granted license may be transferred to third parties – traders, only with the consent of the Regulatory Commission for Communications and is subject to the terms of the initial licensing.

MPs agreed not decommissioned post stamps to be sold at their nominal (face) value in the Republic of Bulgaria. If postal goods are sealed with a special price mark, they should be sold at the price indicated. The commission and decommission of postage stamps is done by the Minister of Transport, Communications and Information Technology and the information is published on the website of the ministry.

The National Assembly ratified the agreement between the Ministry of Economy, Energy and Tourism /MEET/ and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development for the provision of a targeted financial assistance in accordance with the Investment Charter of Southeast Europe and the Annex thereto.

Under the agreement, signed on December 22, 2008, Bulgaria has to provide developmental assistance to non EU members neighboring countries. Thus Bulgaria from being beneficiary becomes a donor with the obligation to provide an amount of 50 000 euros.

The Aid of 100 000 leva is to be paid from the MEET’s budget for 2009.