December 16, 2009



The National Assembly adopted at the sitting on December 16, 2009, on first reading amendments to the Penal Code. The bill was introduced by the government and provides for increased penalties for a number of crimes, including kidnapping. The MPs adopted also the draft for amendments of the Penal Code, proposed by Yane Yanev. The proposal tabled by the MP Lachezar Toshev was rejected.

Parliament adopted at second reading amendments to the Health Insurance Act. Deputies decided to keep the National Framework Agreement and not to replace it with National Framework Conditions, as previously proposed. Tomorrow MPs will continue discussion on the amendments. They stipulate that the National Framework Agreement has the nature of administrative act, covering the whole country for the period specified in the agreement. It is binding on the central and regional health insurance funds, on health care providers, private insurers and insured persons.

The National Assembly passed an update of the State Budget Act for 2009, which estimates the budget deficit for the 2009 fiscal year to be BGN 500 million.