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Transport in Sofia
TRAINS Sofia to: Burgas (4 daily; 6hr 30min); Kazanl?k (6 daily; 3-4hr); Koprivshtitsa (6 daily; 1hr 40min); Pleven (hourly; 3hr); Plovdiv (20 daily; 2hr-3hr 30min); Ruse (4 daily; 7hr); Sandanski (3 daily; 3hr); Varna (5 daily; 8hr 30min); Vidin (5 daily; 5hr); Vratsa (6 daily; 2hr). BUSES Bus parks near the Hotel Princess to: Ahtopol (summer only 1 daily; 8hr 30min); Blagoevgrad (hourly; 2hr); Burgas (8 daily; 7hr); Dobrich (4 daily; 7hr); Gabrovo (2 daily; 3hr 30min); Haskovo (3 daily; 4hr); K?rdzhali (3 daily; 5hr); Kazanl?k (5-7 daily; 5-6hr); Kiten (summer only 1 daily; 8hr); Lovech (1 daily; 3hr); Neseb?r (summer only 1 daily; 7hr 30min); Plovdiv (hourly; 2hr); Razgrad (2 daily; 6hr); Ruse (12 daily; 5hr); Sandanski (8 daily; 3hr); Shumen (6 daily; 6hr); Silistra (1 daily; 7hr); Sozopol (summer only 1 daily; 7hr 30min); Stara Zagora (4 daily; 4hr); Svilengrad (1 daily; 5hr); Svishtov (1 daily; 4hr 30min); Varna (5 daily; 7hr); Veliko T?rnovo (8 daily; 4hr); Vidin (7 daily; 4hr). Avtogara Ovcha Kupel to: Bansko (8 daily; 3hr); Dupnitsa (every 30min; 1hr 30min); Gotse Delchev (8 daily; 4hr); Kyustendil (hourly; 2hr); Pernik (every 30min; 40min). Avtogara Poduyane to: Botevgrad (hourly; 1hr); Etropole (Mon-Sat 7 daily; Sun 4 daily; 1hr 30min); Pravets (4 daily; 1hr); Teteven (3 daily; 2hr 20min); Troyan (Mon-Sat 2 daily; Sun 3 daily; 3hr). Avtogara Yug to: Panagyurishte (3 daily; 2hr); Samokov (hourly; 1hr 15min); Velingrad (4 daily; 3hr). FLIGHTS Sofia to: Burgas (1 daily; 1hr); Gorna Oryahovitsa (1 daily; 45min); K?rdzhali (3 weekly; 1hr); Ruse (1 daily; 45min); Varna (2 daily; 1hr). INTERNATIONAL TRAINS Sofia to: Belgrade (1 daily; 8hr); Budapest (1 daily; 16hr); Bucharest (4 daily; 11hr); Istanbul (1 daily; 15hr); Kiev (1 daily; 38hr); Lviv (1 daily; 31hr); Moscow (2 daily; 45hr); St Petersburg (1 daily; 65hr); Thessaloniki (2 daily; 10hr). INTERNATIONAL BUSES Bus park behind the Hotel Princess to: Istanbul (2 daily; 10hr). bul. Knyaginya Mariya Luiza to: Athens (1 daily; 15hr); Belgrade (1 daily; 9hr); Istanbul (4 daily; 10hr); Ohrid (1 daily; 9hr); Thessaloniki (2 daily; 7hr); Skopje (2 daily; 5hr). ul. Damian Gruev to: Bitola (1 daily; 8hr); Bursa (4 weekly; 14hr); Istanbul (4 weekly; 10hr); Ohrid (1 daily; 9hr); Skopje (3 daily; 5hr); Nisa (4 weekly; 5hr).
Tourism varieties
Tourism varietiesSeaside tourism is traditionally present in Bulgaria’s tourist offer. Some 70% of the tourist flow are concentrated on the Bulgarian Black-sea coast. The bed capacity complies with this fact and some 60% of the country’s bed fund are located in the seaside tourist complexes. The seaside resorts and the coastline towns offer varied options for family vacationing, rest and pro-active sporting. Supply includes practising of surfing, water ski, diving, underwater fishing, underwater archaeology, and other aquatic sport. The yacht ports in Balchik, Varna, Nessebar, and Bourgas offer opportunities for yachting with the necessary servicing and customs services. Routs have been devised for pedestrian, biking and horseback tourism, photo- and eco-tourism, visiting natural, archaeological and cultural landmarks, trips in Bulgaria and abroad. The following Bulgarian Black-sea resorts were awarded a ‘Blue Flag’ in 2003: Albena - branch International Youth Center - Primorsko, Zlatni Pyassatsi, Sunny day, Riviera, Nessebar - south beach, Pomorie - central beach and south beach, Primorsko - central beach and south beach, Kiten - central beach and south beach. Convenient ski runs and facilities for skiing tourism and winter sports are on offer in the mountains of Rila, Pirin, Rhodope, Vitosha, and Stara Planina (or Balkan range). The ski-season duration in the average- and high-altitude mountain resorts is up to 190 days. Ski runs’ total length exceeds 80 km with level differences of up to 1500 m. The Pamporovo, the Borovets, the Bansko and the Aleko resorts have year-round functioning accommodation premises and a winter sports infrastructure (lifts, Alpine skiing and ski-running runs) undergoing renovation and development. In response to modern demand - new ski tourism centres are getting also established: Smolyan, Chepelare, Dobrinishte, Malyovitsa, Semkovo, etc. During the summer season, mountains in Bulgaria offer diverse options for active tourism and vacationing. Programmes are on offer for pedestrian, biking and horse-back tourism, hang-gliding and motor hang-gliding, parachutism, aquatic sports, rock climbing, spelaeology tourism, orientation competitions, scout camps, etc. Balneology tourism is a traditional component of Bulgaria’s image as a tourist destination. Known in Bulgaria are more than 550 spots of 1,600 mineral water springs with a total debit of 4,900 l./sec. In its chemical composition Bulgarian thermal mineral water is distinguished for its great diversity. Prevalent is the slightly mineralised water of various physical-and-chemical composition, biologically active microelements, temperature, and healing features. This country has 102 officially declared balneology, mud-healing, and climatic resorts, of which 34 of all-national importance and 68 ones of local importance. Comfortable accommodation and servicing, medical treatment and prophylaxis in the spirit of modern requirements in the field are on offer at: the ‘Dobroudja’**** hotel in Albena, the ‘Ambassador’*** and the ‘Imperial’***** hotels at the ‘Riviera’ vacation club in Zlatni Pyassatsi, the ‘Palace’**** and the ‘Marina’**** hotels in Sunny Day (‘Slanchev Den’), the ‘Varna’***** Grand Royal hotel in ‘St. St. Constantine and Helen’, the ‘Globus’*** hotel in Slanchev Bryag, the ‘Pomorie’*** Inter-hotel in the town of Pomorie, the ‘Sandanski’**** and the ‘Sveti Vrach’***** hotels in the town of Sandanski, the ‘Augusta’*** hotel in the town of Hissarya, the ‘Velina’*** and the ‘Kamena’**** hotels in the town of Velingrad, the ‘Velbazhd’*** hotel in the town of Kyustendil, etc. Cultural tourism Thousand years old Bulgaria, spreading over some 2% only of the territory of Europe surprises every new visitor with its over 30,000 historic monuments (7 of which are included in the UNESCO world culture heritage list), 36 culture reserves, 160 monasteries, 330 museums and galleries. The ancient inhabitants of our lands have bequeathed to us a plenitude of monuments from different historic epochs: pre-historian finds, Thracian tombs, finds from the Ancient Greek times, Roman fortresses, historical monuments from the time of the First and the Second Bulgarian Kingdom, architectural attractions from the National Revival period, which have shaped fully or partially the face of Bulgarian towns. The ancient Thracians who lived in our lands bequeathed to us the magnificent tombs in Kazanluk and Sveshtari, included in UNESCO’s world culture heritage list, and also the Valley of the Thracian Tzars, where some 15 newly discovered tombs are located. The excavation works during the Archaeological Summer 2000 were crowned with new, sensational discoveries for the thracologists. The end of the summer saw intensive archaeological work on three sites, connected with Thracian culture in the Bulgarian lands. The tomb in the village of Starosel, Plovdiv region and the Thracian palace near the Perperek Fortress, Kurdjali region, were discovered. The tomb near the village of Storosel, Plovdiv region is considered to be one of the most sensational and representative finds of Archaeological Summer 2000. Specialists conjecture that this is the biggest preserved Thracian Tzar complex with a temple mausoleum in Southeastern Europe and they date some of the finds from the end of V-th and the beginning of IV-th century BC. The excavation works continue and scholars conjecture that the inside of the tomb has more surprises in stock. Specialists said that the Perperek complex turned out to be the Holy City of the Thracians, known from ancient written sources. The capital of the Odrisi (Thracian tribe) Kingdom is also dated from the end of V-th and early IV-th century BC. The first and only palace of a Thracian Tzar so far was discovered during the excavations. Archaeologists claim that the region has been inhabited ever since the Thracian times. According to Associated Professor Valeria Fol the Holy City in the village of Perperek is the only place in Europe, and may be throughout the world, where the separate civilizations did not destroy one another, but fitted into and developed on the basis of the preceding ones. The unique Thracian tomb in the village of Sveshtari, municipality of Isperih, included in the world culture heritage list of UNESCO, is opened for tourist visits with the assistance of the British Hedley Trust. It dates back from III c. BC and is remarkable for its figures and the preserved picturesque adornment. We are proud with our monuments of culture, which are included in the UNESCO list: The Kazanluk tomb - (IV-III c. BC); The Thracian tomb near the village of Sveshtari, close to Razgrad (dated from 2,300 years ago); The Madara Horseman (early VIII c.) - an equestrian figure, piercing a lion with his spear, engraved in a cliff-symbol of the Bulgarian statehood; The Boyana church-frescos, dating back from 1259; The Ivanovski rock churches (near Rousse), XI-XIV c.; The Rila monastery - (X c.); The ancient town in Nessebur The monasteries and churches have preserved the Bulgarian spirit over the turbulent centuries in the national history. Today the most frequently visited monasteries are as follows: the Rila monastery, Bachkovo monastery, the Rozhen monastery, the Troyan monastery, the Zemen monastery, the Preobrazhenski monastery, Aladja monastery, etc. Some 20 of them offer stays to pilgrims and tourists. The hundreds of churches, which have preserved unique specimen of the Bulgarian iconographic, icon-painting and wood carving schools, ancient manuscripts, etc. are worthy of the tourist attention. Veliko Tarnovo, the Ancient Plovdiv, Nessebur, Sozopol, Tryavna, Koprivshtitsa and many other towns and villages offer the possibility to feel the Bulgarian Renaissance in combination with excellent conditions for recreation and tourism. Bulgaria’s guests can become acquainted with traditional business activities for our lands - wine, attar, etc. production, to participate in a training course in a traditional craft for Bulgaria - embroidery, knitting, woodcarving, pottery, etc., to study authentic Bulgarian folklore. Visitors can acquaint themselves with different crafts, demonstrations and hobbies - courses are being offered at the out-of-door Ethnographic museum Etara near Gabrovo, the ancient quarter of Varosha in Blagoevgrad, Bansko, ethnographic complex Kulata in Kazanluk, the Ancient Plovdiv, Sofia and many others. The ethnographic complexes the Ancient Dobrich, Chiflika (near Albena resort), the ethnographic complex near the village of Brashlyan (Malko Tarnovo), etc. are of interest too. Arts lovers can enjoy a rich folklore calendar, including traditional holidays and customs, related to the Bulgarian way of life and culture, a multitude of folk gatherings and festivals. An impressive variety of colours and shapes, of masks and the rhythm of hundreds of rings and folk instruments are attracting more and more admirers of the magic of the Bulgarian folklore, at the traditional folk gatherings in Koprivshtitsa, Shiroka Laka, Rozhen, Predela and many festivals in the country, devoted to folklore and presenting authentic Bulgarian folk activities, as well as at the festivals in the city of Bourgas (held every year in the second half of August), the Festival of the Rose in the town of Kazanluk - (held every year early June), the Folk Festival in the town of Koprivshtitsa (held once in five years), the International Festival of the Kukeri and Masquarade Games in Pernik (held in January every even year), etc. Arts lovers can enjoy a rich culture calendar and visit prestigious international festivals in the field of theatre, cinema, ballet, opera, concert of world famous musicians, orchestras and formations, exhibitions, etc. A typical feature of the ecological and of the other sustainable types of tourism is the requirement for offering a varied and strongly individualised product. Regions of preserved natural resources are becoming popular through its development. Bulgaria’s nature avails exceptional capacities to diversification of the Bulgarian tourist product and new types of tourism. The network set up of 3 national and 11 natural parks , 89 reserves and 2,234 natural landmarks preconditions various types of specialised tourism: cognitive and nature-science tourism, photo-safari, observing birds and plants, rock climbing, alpinism, spelaeology tourism, etc. Mountains have good roadability; marked mountain paths total 37,000 km. The ‘Bulgarian eco-paths’ National Programme of the Bulgarian Association for Rural and Environmental tourism (BARET) is setting up a concept for equipping hard of access and picturesque territories in mountainous and semi-mountainous regions with bridges, rails, and staircases. Seven eco-paths have been constructed so far: the Negovan(ska) one - off the village of Emmen (Veliko Turnovo region); the Kroushin(ska) one - by the village of Letnitsa, Lovech district; the Tran one - the Erma river gorge; the Kopren(ska) one - off the village of Kopilovtsi, Chiprovo Mouintain; the South Rhodopean eco-path - with a starting point in the village of Yagodina, Borino municipality; the Vrachanska (or Vratsa) eco-path in the ‘Vrachanski Balkan’ natural park; the Dryanovo eco-path - with a starting point in the Dryanovo monastery. Environment-protection, visitors’ and information centres have been set up for the needs of ornithology tourism: the nature-lovers’ centre in Dragalevtsi, the ‘Panichishte’ visitors’ centre, and the environment-protection centres ‘Poda’ - Bourgas, Madjarovo, and Karlovo. Opportunities for rural tourism are offered in a number of villages in the Rhodopes, Pirin, Rila, the Balkan range, and the Strandja Mountain, as well as in the Dobroudja Plain, with well preserved olden crafts, architecture, and folklore. There is an ecologically pure environment and there are suitable places for accommodation. Programmes of various duration (of one or several days) are being used. Tourists are put up in a village house where they are offered ecologically pure local foods and drinks. They also get familiar with the agricultural activities and with the local crafts. If they wish so, tourists could take part in the daily chores of the farmers, as well as in brief training courses in the field of Bulgarian culinary and crafts. To diversify their stay, additional activities are also offered, like wine tasting, attending and partaking in a local folk holiday, riding, visiting architectural-and-ethnographic complexes, monasteries and Churches, organising picnics, etc.
Културно - познавателен туризъм
Културно - познавателен туризъмХилядолетна България, заемаща само около 2% от територията на Европа изненадва всеки, който за пръв път я посещава със своите над 40 000 исторически паметници /7 от които в списъка на ЮНЕСКО за световното културно наследство/, 36 културни резервата, 160 манастира, 330 музея и галерии. Древните обитатели на нашите земи са ни завещали в наследство многобройни паметници от различни исторически епохи: праисторически находки, тракийски гробници, обекти от гръцката епоха, римски крепости, исторически паметници от времето на Първото и Второто Българско царство, архитектурни забележителности от епохата на Възраждането - оформили облика на цели градове или на части от тях. Древните траки обитавали нашите земи са ни завещали великолепните гробници в Казанлък и Свещари, включени в списъка на ЮНЕСКО за световното културно наследство, и още Долината на тракийските царе, която включва около 15 новооткрити гробници. През последните години траколозите се радваха и на нови, сензационни открития. През 2000 г. бяха разкрити гробницата в с. Старосел, Пловдивско и тракийският дворец до крепостта "Перперек", Кърджалийско. Специалистите предполагат, че гробницата край с.Старосел, Пловдивско е най - големия запазен тракийски царски комплекс с храм мавзолей в Югоизточна Европа и датират част от находките от кр. на V и началото на - V век пр.н.е. Учените предполагат, че във вътрешността си гробницата крие още много изненади. Според специалистите комплексът в Перперек се е оказал известния от древни писмени източници Свещен град на траките. Столицата на одриското царство специалистите датират също от от кр. на V и началото на - V век пр.н.е. При разкопките е открит първият и единствен засега дворец на тракийски цар. Археолозите твърдят, че районът е бил обитаван непрекъснато от времето на траките до днес като според думите на доц.Валерия Фол "Свещенният град в с.Перперек е единственото място в Европа, а може би и в целия свят, където цивилизациите не са се унищожавали една - друга, а са се вписвали и изграждали на основата на предходните". След 18 години работа по консервация и реставрация с помоща на британската фондация "Хедли Тръст" през 2000-та г. за туристически посещения бе открита уникалната тракийска гробница в с. Свещари - община Исперих - включена в списъка на ЮНЕСКО за световното културно наследство. Тя е датирана от III в. пр. н.е и е забележителна с фигурите на кариатиди и запазената живописна украса. Наша национална гордост са и паметниците на културата, включени в Списъка на ЮНЕСКО: - Казанлъшката гробница - /IV - III в.пр.н.е/; -Тракийската гробница при с. Свещари край Разград - /датирана преди 2300 години/; - Мадарският конник / нач. на VIII век /; - Боянската църква ? със стенописи, датиращи от 1259г.; - Ивановските скални църкви /край Русе/, / XI - XIV век/; - Рилският манастир - / X век/; - Старият град в Несебър; Манастирите и църквите са съхранили българщината през бурните векове от историята на България. Най - посещаваните манастири днес са - Рилският, Бачковският, Роженският, Троянският, Земенският, Преображенският, Аладжа манастир и др. Около 20 от тях предоставят възможност за пребиваване на поклонници и туристи. Интерес представляват и стотиците църкви, запазили уникални образции на българските иконографски, зографски и дърворезбарски школи, стари ръкописи, църковна утвар и др. Велико Търново , Стария Пловдив, Троян, Трявна, Копривщица и редица други градове, както и много села предлагат възможност да се почувства атмосферата на Възраждането в съчетание с отличини условия за отдих и туризъм. Гостите на страната могат да се запознаят и с традиционни стопански дейности по нашите земи - производство на вино, розово масло и др., да участват в курс по традиционен български занаят - бродерия, плетиво, дърворезба, грънчарство и др., да изучават автентичния български фолклор. Запознаване с различни занаяти, кратки демонстрации и хоби - курсове се предлагат в Етнографския музей на открито "Етъра" край Габрово, старият квартал "Вароша" в Благоевград, Банско, Етнографски комплекс "Кулата" - Казанлък, София, Самоков и редица други. Интерес представляват и етнографските комплекси "Старият Добрич", "Чифлика" (в близост до к.к. "Албена"), етнографският комплекс в с.Бръшлян (Малко Търновско) и др. Богат е фолклорният календар на страната, включващ традиционни празници и обичаи, свързани с българския бит и култура, множество народни събори и фестивали. Изумителното многообразие на багри и форми, на причудливи маски и завладяващ ритъм от стотици звънци и народни инструменти привличат все повече зрители съпричастни на магията на българския фолклор на традиционните народни събори в Копривщица, Широка Лъка, Рожен, Предела, и множество фестивали в страната, посветени на народното творчество - представящи автентичен български фолклор, както и на фестивалите в гр.Бургас / провежда се ежегодно през втората половина на м.август/, Фестивалът на Розата в гр. Казанлък - / провежда се ежегодно в началото на м.юни/, Фолклорният фестивал в гр.Копривщица - / провежда се на всеки пет години/, Международният фестивал на кукерите и маскарадните игри в Перник / провежда се през м. януари на всяка четна година/ и др. За любителите на изкуствата страната предлага богат културен календар и възможност за посещение на престижни международни фестивали в областта на театъра, киното, операта, балета, концерти на световноизвестни музиканти, оркестри и формации, различни изложби и т.н. Повече информация в областта на културния туризъм можете да получите от: Министерство на икономиката Център за национална информация и реклама
Еко туризъм
Еко туризъмХарактерна особеност на екологичния и другите устойчиви видове туризъм е изискването за предлагане на разнообразен и силно индивидуализиран продукт. Чрез развитието му се популяризират региони със съхранени природни ресурси. Природата на България предоставя изключителни възможности за обогатяване на българския туристически продукт с нови видове туризъм. Създадената мрежа от 3 национални и 11 природни парка , 89 резервата и 2234 природни забележителности създават условия за различни видове специализиран туризъм, фотосафари, наблюдение на птици и растения, скално катерене, алпинизъм, спелеоложки туризъм и др. Планините имат добра проходимост; маркираните пътеки в планините са с обща дължина 37 000км. Националната програма "Български екопътеки" на Българската асоциация за селски и екологичен туризъм /БАСЕТ/ създава концепция за оборудване на непристъпни и живописни територии в планински и полупланински райони с мостове, парапети, стълби. Интересен туристически продукт представляват множеството маркирани пътеки в планински, полупланински и равнинно - хълмисти места. Сравнителна новост за България са изградените с естествени материали екологични пътеки сред атрактивна природна среда с висока степен на природно разнообразие: "Негованската" - по ждрелото на р.Негованка, с.Емен /Велико Търновско/; "Крушунската" в Крушунската бигорна каскада, с.Летница /Ловешка област/; "Трънската екопътека" в Западна България в близост до ждрелото на р.Ерма; "Копренската екопътека" - при с.Копиловци в Чипровска планина; "Южнородопската екопътека" - с.Ягодина, община Борино в Родопите; "Врачанската екопътека" в Природен парк Врачански Балкан; "Дряновската екопътека" край Дряновски манастир. Ценен ресурс за развитието на екологичния туризъм и възможност за разнообразване на туристически продукт са Природозащитните центрове, специализирани в изследване и опазване на редки видове, информиране за природното разнообразие и туристически маршрути, провеждане на обучителни програми. В България функционират следните Природозащитни посетителски центрове: Център за природолюбие в Драгалевци, /в полите на Витоша, на 10км от София/ изграден с цел информация за природата на Природен парк "Витоша" и нейното съхраняване; Посетителски център "Паничище" /в северното подножие на планината Рила/ с цел информиране за природното богатство и за туристическите маршрути на Национален парк "Рила"; Природозащитен център "Пода" /разположен в Бургаския залив - на главния път Е 87- Бургас-Созопол/ изграден с цел наблюдение и опазване на птичето разнообразие в района; Природозащитен център Маджарово /разположен в гр.Маджарово - Източни Родопи/ за наблюдение и опазване на грабливи птици; Природозащитен център Карлово /разположен в град Карлово в подножието на Калоферска планина/ изграден с цел информиране и опазване на природното разнообразие и изучаване на прилепни видове; Природозащитен център "Калиакра" /разположен на 8 км от нос Калиакра в с. Българево/ изграден с цел информиране и опазване на птичето разнообразие и редки видове степна растителност. Еко туризъм
Ловен и риболовен туризъм
Ловен и риболовен туризъмтуризъм : лов и риболовДивечовото стопанство на България е представено от 18 974 благородни елена, 4 200 елена лопатара, 69 795 сърни, 1 799 диви кози, 2 066 муфлона, над 41 536 диви прасета, над 930 мечки, 2386 глухара, зайци, яребици, фазани. Много добре се развиват и новоотглежданите популации от благородни елени и муфлони, като едни от най-добрите екземпляри са обстреляни в нашата страна. Отлични условия за лов на едър дивеч: елен, сърна, дива свиня, мечка, вълк се предлага в горските стопанства: Арамлиец /Ихтиманска Средна гора приблизително на 50 км. от София/, Боровец /северните склонове на Рила планина на 75 км. от София/, Ботевград /северните склонове на Стара планина, на 60 км. североизточно от София/, Витиня /централната част на Стара планина, на 70 км. от София/, Самоков /подножието на Рила планина на 60 км. от София/, държавни лесничейства Борово /Западните Родопи на около 90 км. от Пловдив/, Женда /Източните Родопи на 100 км. от Пловдив/ и други. Рибното богатство на България е голямо и разнообразно. Възможности за риболов на сладководни видове, като: шаран, пъстърва, сом, костур, бяла риба, клен, скобар и други, се предлагат от лесничействата Рибарица /северните склонове на Средна Стара планина на 110 км. София/, Черни вит /северните склонове на Средна Стара планина на 110 км. от София/, Белоградчик /северозападната част на Стара планина на около 180 км. от София/, Монтана /северозападната част на Стара планина на 120 км. от София/ и други. В Черно море обект на риболов са следните видове: моруна, калкан, лаврак, лафер, минокоп-умбрина, морски кефал, платерина, илария и др. Над 1100 легла в повече от 110 хижи и ловни домове в горските стопанства представляват настанителната база, отговаряща на съвременните изисквания. Възможност за бизнес срещи, семеен туризъм и конен туризъм предоставят горските стопанства: Априлци /северните склонове на Централна Стара планина на около 190 км./, Кормисош /Централни Родопи на около 140 км. от Пловдив/ и Габрово /северните склонове на Централна Стара планина на 220 км. от София/. Международен ловен туризъм предлагат стопанствата Борима /северните склонове на Стара планина на около 170 км. от София/, Лесидрен /северните склонове на Стара планина на 150 км. от София/, Ловеч /предпланините на Централна Стара планина на 170 км. от София/, Никопол /Централна Северна България на около 210 км. от София/, Тетевен /северните склонове на Средна Стара планина на 115 км. от София/, Троян /северните склонове на Средна Стара планина на 175 км. от София/, Своге /южните склонове на Западна Стара планина, на 40 км. от София/. Наред с това се предлагат и риболовен, еко туризъм и фотосафари, както и посещения на природни и исторически забележителности в околността. В България ежегодно ловуват над 2500 чуждестранни ловци, като голяма част от тях са традиционни посетители. Няколко от световните рекорди сред трофеите на благороден елен и дива свиня са придобити в нашата страна. Сред капиталните трофеи с оценка над 250 СIС точки повечето са български. Природните дадености, Закона за лова и опазване на дивеча и научната основа на ловностопанската дейност са предпоставка за запазване позициите на България като водеща страна в ловния и риболовен туризъм. лов и риболов
Ски и планински туризъм
Ски и планински туризъмУдобни писти и съоръжения за ски туризъм и зимни спортове предлагат Рила, Пирин, Родопите, Витоша и Стара планина. Продължителността на ски - сезона в средно високите и във високопланинските курорти е до 190 дни. Общата дължина на ски пистите е над 80 километра с денивелация до 1500м. Курортите Пампорово, Боровец, Банско и Алеко разполагат с целогодишно функционираща база за настаняване, както и инфраструктура за зимни спортове /лифтове, писти за ски-алпийски дисциплини и ски-бягане/ в процес на обновяване и развитие. В отговор на съвременното търсене се утвърждават и нови центрове за ски-туризъм: Смолян, Чепеларе, Добринище, Мальовица, Семково и др. През летния сезон планините предлагат разнообразни възможности за активен туризъм и отдих. Туристите имат възможност да разнообразят престоя си с програми за пешеходен, вело и конен туризъм, делта и парапланеризъм, парашутизъм, водни спортове, скално катерене, спелеоложки туризъм, състезания по ориентиране, скаутски лагери и др.
Специализиран туризъм
Специализиран туризъмОрнитоложки туризъм в България В България могат да се наблюдават почти 70% от птиците, обитаващи европейския континент, поради минаващите през страната ни трансконтинентални миграционни орнитоложки пътища - Via Pontica и Via Aristotelis, влажните зони по българското черноморско крайбрежие и река Дунав, както и разнообразните природни условия във вътрешността. Най - подходящи места за наблюдение има по Дунавското крайбрежие, по Северното Черноморие, по Южното черноморско крайбрежие, в Национален парк Шуменско плато, в Провадийското плато, в резерватите Горна и Долна Топчия край р.Тунджа, в Природен парк “Сините камъни” и в Източната част на Родопите. Регламентът за посещение е строго съобразен със Закона за защитените територии. Видове, които може да се наблюдават по Долни Дунав По поречието на българската част на река Дунав са разположени 12 от местообитанията на ценни видове от птичето многообразие с международно значение: до град Лом - с. Орсоя, обл. Монтана, до гр.Козлодуй - остров Ибиша, при град Свищов - остров Белене, остров Вардим; при град Русе - рибарник до с.Мечка; при град Тутракан - остров Калимок; при Силистра - езерото Сребърна и др. Малък корморан, чапла, лопатарка може да се наблюдават на остров Ибиша, който е природен резерват с голяма орнитологична важност . Корморан, чапла, лопатарка и други водоплаващи птици - на дунавския остров Вардим, който е едно от петте най - важни места за наблюдение на тези видове в България. Близо 170 вида водоплаващи птици, като 100 от тях са с европейско значение приютяват рибарниците “Мечка” (до с.Мечка, обл. Русе). Множество гнездящи птици могат да се наблюдават в природната забележителност “Блатото” (до с. Малък Преславец, обл. Силистра) Местообитание на колония от къдроглави пеликани и застрашените в световен мащаб малък корморан и белоока потапница представлява езерото “Сребърна” (резерват, включен през 1983 г. в Списъка на паметниците на световното природно наследство на ЮНЕСКО). Скалогнездящите птици - египедски лешояд, черен щъркел, бухал, белоопашат мишелов и др., както и повече от 150 вида други птици се наблюдават на територията на Природен парк “Русенски Лом”. Видове, които може да се наблюдават по Българското черноморско крайбрежие Повече от 226 вида птици могат да се наблюдават в Защитената местност “Пода”, с изграден Природозащитен център (на 10 км от град Бургас - Южно черноморско крайбрежие). В края на лятото могат да се наблюдават повече от 30 вида птици - брегобечи, водобегачи, чайки, рибарки, кокилобегачи, стридояди, свирци и др. По време на есенната миграция са атрактивни за наблюдение на ята щъркели, пеликани, прелитащи грабливи птици, малки гмурци, кафявоглави потапници, както и колонията на големия корморан, малкия корморан, различни видове чайки и рибарки, речни рибарки и дъждосвирци. През зимните месеци - нирци, гмурци, звънарки, сиви патици, качулати потапници и др. През размножителния период от наблюдателната кула се вижда смесената колония от лопатарки, ибиси, сиви, малки бели, червени и нощни чапли или ловуващите тръстикови блатарки. Информационният център “Калиакра” (разположен в с. Българево, в близост до нос Калиакра на Северното черноморско крайбрежие) предлага информация за птиците в региона. Могат да се наблюдават типични за степните местности птичи видове - редки видове бухал, белоопашат мишелов, аристотелев корморан, турилик, световно застрашения ливаден дърдавец. Резерват “Калиакра” е едно от малкото места в Европа, с възможност да се видят розовия скорец, черногърбото каменарче, пет вида чучулиги - характерни за Балканския полуостров и др. видове. Във влажните зони - блатото Болата и езерото - лагуна Тауклиман (т.н. “птичи залив”) (в близост до курорта Русалка на Северното българско черноморие) има огромно изобилие от водолюбиви птици (water birds); Скалите на Яйлата(степни местности с отвесни брегове в близост до северния черноморски курорт Русалка) се обитават от аристотелевия корморан, бухала, синявицата, папуняка, каменарчета, а пасищата се огласяват песнопойни птички. Видове, които може да се наблюдават из вътрешността на България Местообитания на колхидски фазан се съхраняват в резерватите Горна и Долна Топчия покрай р.Тунджа. Грабливи птици - лешояди - грифон, египетски и черен, множество орли, соколи, ястреби, както и черни щъркели, основно са съсредоточени в Природозащитен център гр. Маджарово (източната част на планината Родопи); 4 от от 16 вида птици, вписани в списъка на застрашените европейски видове, са в Посетителския център на Природен парк “Сините камъни” (Източна Стара планина, в близост до град Сливен): царски орел, белоопашат мишелов, брадат лешояд, сокол - скитник.
Селски туризъм
Селски туризъмКорените на българския дух и характер могат да се открият в българското село, съхранило в най-голяма степен своеобразието на българските традиции. Престоят в българско село дава уникална възможност да се усети и навлезе в един бит, който прокарва мостове между времена и култури. Атрактивната природна среда, съхранените фолклор, обичаи и занаяти, селищата-архитектурни резервати, традиционната кухня, известното българско гостоприемство правят почивката в българско село все по-предпочитана. В България вече ясно са очертани два големи района за селски туризъм - Западна и Средна Стара планина, Предбалкана и Родопите, а в последните години и редица села намиращи се не далеч от морските курорти. Традиции в предлагането на селски туризъм вече има в с.Осмар и с.Лозево /Шуменска обл./, с.Аспарухово /Варненска обл., общ. Дългопол/, с.Казичено /общ. Поморие/, с.Малка Верея /общ. Стара Загора/. До момента над 50 села и 30 манастира предлагат настанителна база. В българското село туристът се приема като гост и може да се почувства като приятел или пътешественик-изследовател. Той може да се идентифицира и живее с местното население, да се включи в селскостопанските дейности, в пешеходни турове, преходи с коне и каруци, в занаятчийски дейности като дървообработване, резбарство, текстил, керамика, тъкачество, ковачество и др, да занесе вкъщи платно, глинен съд или друг предмет, изработен от собствените му ръце. При желание гостът може да се включи в кулинарни курсове или дегустации на вино, да изучава българския фолклор, да наблюдава местните семейни или религиозни празници. Съхранените традиции в природосъобразния начин на селскостопанско производство в личното стопанство са подчертано впечатляващи за туристите. Ръчното косене и доене, производството на домашно сирене и кашкавал, квасенето на кисело мляко, приготвянето но сладка и конфитюри са елементи от туристическия продукт на селска България. Повечето стопани на село отглеждат разнообразни зеленчуци, овощия, десертни и винени сортове грозде и много домашни животни и птици. Това е определя и многообразието в домашното производство на вина, ракии, месни деликатеси, на богата и вкусна кухня и разбира се прочутото домашно българско кисело мляко. Наред с производството на домашно вино в почти всяка къща, съществуват и селски винзаводи и изби с разнообразно производство на червени и бели вина, част от които са и за експорт - Караисен, Ново село, Славянци, Дамяница, Осмар, Стамболово, Карабунар и др. Настаняването обикновено е в собствената къща на домакините, като в зависимост от желанието им гостите могат се хранят на трапеза заедно със стопаните. Спазва се основното изискване да се поднася традиционна местна кухня, екологично чисти натурални храни и напитки, като при желание туристите могат да участват в приготвянето на храната. Много места в България предлагат атрактивни дейности из селския бит - кратки програми като “Един ден на село” или почивки с по-дълъг престой. Населените места в планините Родопи и Стара планина са известни със съхранените стари занаяти - на живо може да се проследи ръчната изработка на красиви резбовани предмети, килими и халища, плетива, ковани предмети, пъстри грънци и др. Туристите могат да усвоят някои умения в кратки курсове на обучение. Организират се и посещения на български дом, кулинарни курсове и дегустации. В Бургаския регион интерес представляват местните празници и обичаи. Незабравими са спомените, свързани с посещение на архитектурно - етнографския комплекс в село Бръшлян (в сърцето на Странджа планина), разходки до старинни воденици, тепавици, обучение в езда на магаре, разходки с магарешки каруци. Девствената Странджанска природа е част от атмосферата на тайнствените “Нестинарски танци” (танц върху жарава) - останали от древността. Организирането на “Рибен пикник” е възможност за любителите на природата да се разходят с лодка, да вкусят от прясно уловената и приготвена по местни рецепти риба. В село Козичено - Източна Стара планина в рамките на “Един ден на село” туристите имат възможност да се разходят на гърба на магаре, да пояздят коне, да проследят ръчната изработка на българска народна носия, да направят своята следобедна закуска до извор на зелена поляна, да вкусят от местната кухня под ритмите на фолклорна музика, да участват в празници като “Коледуване” и “Лазаруване”, да потанцуват на “Неделното хоро”. Североизточна България завладява с необятната си плодородна равнина. Гостите могат да се запознаят с поминъка на местните селяни - земеделие и животновъдство, разнообразния местен фолклор, кухня и да се възползват от възможността за посещение в единствените съхранени в България Добруджански чифлици. В град Банско (в Североизточното подножие на Пирин планина) се извършват демонстрации на обичаи, дегустация на месни ястия, извозване с каруци до местността “Пикника”, акомпанимент на гайда, “хайдушко нападение”, снимки с фолклорни носии. Из цялата страна се почитат и до днес фолклорни празници и традиции, а възможността да се присъства на обреди и обичаи на живо като “Българска сватба”, Нестинарски танци, “Кукери”, “Трифон Зарезан”, “Еньова буля”, “Коледуване”, “Лазаруване”, “Пеперуда”, “Герман” и др. оставят незабравими спомени. Голямо емоционално въздействие оказват националните и международни фолклорни фестивали - Международния фолклорен фестивал в гр. Бургас, Международен фолклорен фестивал - гр. Пловдив, Международен фестивал на маскарадните и карнавални игри и обичаи “Сурва” -гр.Перник, Националните фолклорни събори в местността “Рожен” край гр.Смолян и в гр. Копривщица, Национален събор “Китна Тракия пее и танцува”- гр.Хасково, Национални фолклорни детски Орфееви празници - гр. Смолян и др. Представата за Възрожденска България се допълва от посещението на редица архитектурни забележителности от епохата на Възраждането, които са оформили облика на цели градове или на части от тях - Велико Търново, Трявна, Стария Пловдив, Копривщица, Несебър, Созопол и др., на много села като Боженци, Арбанаси, Жеравна, Бръшлян, Ковачевица, Лещен, Долен, Момчиловци, Широка лъка и др., както и на няколкото етнографски музея в страната - етнографските музеи на открито “Етъра” /гр. Габрово/ и “Старият Добрич” /гр. Добрич/, етнографските музеи във Велико Търново, Благоевград, Враца и др., както и на известни източноправославни манастири и църкви.
Ваканция на море
Ваканция на море Морският туризъм присъства традиционно в туристическата оферта на България. Голяма част от туристопотока и легловата база са съсредоточени по Българското Черноморие. Морските курорти и селища по крайбрежието предоставят разнообразни възможности за семеен отдих, почивка и активен спорт. Предлагането включва практикуване на сърфинг, водни ски, гмуркане, подводен риболов и подводна археология и други водни спортове. Възможности за яхтинг с необходимите сервизни и митнически услуги имат яхтените пристанища в Балчик, Варна, Несебър и Бургас. Разработени са маршрути за пешеходен, вело и конен туризъм, фото и екотуризъм, посещение на природни, археологически и културни забележителности, екскурзии в страната и чужбина. Отличените със "Син флаг" плажове за 2003 г. са: Златни пясъци, Ривиера, Слънчев ден, Несебър - южен плеж, Поморие - централен и южен плаж, Приморско - централен и южен плаж, Китен - централен и южен плаж, и Албена - клон ММЦ "Приморско".
Балнеотуризъм
БалнеотуризъмБалнеотуризмът е традиционен елемент от облика на България като туристическа страна. Традицията да се използват лечебните качества на водите и природните ресурси води началото си от траките, известни като изкусни лечители, познаващи целебните качества на минералните извори. В Римската империя тези традиции продължават и "свещените " извори на Тракия стават известни по всички краища на Великата империя. В последните години в света се наблюдава едно ново отношение към профилактиката и активната почивка. Популярността на балнеоцентровете в Европа се възражда, защото те наред с традиционите методи на лечение възстановят и целебните терапии на древните времена. В днешни дни се води битка за здравето на здравия човек. Анализите показват, че нарастващата продължителност на живота в икономически развитите страни увеличава значението на балнеотуризма. Нараства и ролята на възрастните хора като потребители на този специфичен туристически продукт Малко са страните в Европа, които могат да се конкурират с България по изобилие и многообразие на термоминерални води с различен физикохимичен състав и калолечебни суровини. Известни и проучени са над 550 находища с 1600 минерални извора с общ дебит от 4900 л/сек. Преобладават слабоминерализираните минерални води - 66.7%, минерализирани минерални води - 14.4% и газови води - 17,9%. По своя химически състав термоминералните ни води се отличават с голямо разнообразие. Освен слабоминерализираните хидротерми, страната ни разполага с ценни сулфидни, радонови, силициеви, хлорно-натриеви, възкисели и съдържащи флуор, желязо и арсен минерални води. Особено ценен ресурс са големте запаси на страната от висококачествена лиманна лечебна кал и лечебен торф. Разнообразният планински релеф, обширната морска брегова ивица, близостта на Средиземно море и благоприятното географско положение на страната създават отлични биоклиматични условия и неповторими или рядкосрещащи се природни съчетания за комплексно въздействие върху човешкия организъм. Значително е предимството на България в климатично отношение в сравнение с традиционно възприетите туристически страни, развиващи балнеотуризам на Балканите, в Западна Европа и по Средиземноморието. Броят на слънчевите дни е с 18-20% по-голям от този на Централна, Северна и Северозападна Европа. Планините ни се явяват защитни прегради за силните северни ветрове. Облачността по Черноморието ни е с 10-30% по-малка в сравнение с тази по Атлантическото крайбрежие и в някои зони по Средиземноморското крайбрежие. Валежните количества са по-малки с 26-65% съответно през пролетните и летните месеци. България е защитена от горещите ветрове на африканските пустини и от ураганната сила на дълбоките средиземноморски циклони. Много от находищата на минерални води са локализирани в планинска или полупланинска среда с богати биоклиматични и ландшафтни качиства, в близост до чисти планински води и иглолистна растителност - уникална среда с йонообразуващи фактори и с голямо физиологично и терапевтично значение. Ценни по своя химически състав и инградиенти минерални води се срещат и в долини с подчертано средиземноморски климат. Изобилие на термоминерални води и лечебна кал има в таласотерапевтичната зона на Черноморското крайбрежие. Успешно в България се използва голямото разнообразие на билки и растения за нуждите на фито- и ароматотерапията, както и лечебните свойства на пчелните продукти. Тази обективно благоприятна природна среда осигурява реални възможности за удължаване на сезона и за по-ефективно използване на биоклиматичните ресурси за отдих, лечение и профилактика на редица социално-значими заболявания. Балнеолечението в България е с дългогодишни традиции. В балнеоцентровете работят много добре подготвени специалисти, използват се наличните и допълнителни лечебни ресурси. Богатата гама от лечебни и възстановителни туристически програми непрекъснато се обновява с включването на екзотични, самобитни елементи, както и по-модерни лечения с ясната цел да се отговори на съвременните изисквания на търсенето на международните пазари. Така нашите балнеокурорти се изпълват с качествено ново съдържание и насочват продукта към по-широка потребителска аудитория - от хора, нуждаещи се от лечение и профилактика до по-широк диапазон от здрави хора, търсещи релаксация и избавяне от ежедневния стрес. В страната официално са обявени 102 курорта. От тях 34 са от национално значение /5 климатични планински, 10 климатични морски/ и 68 от местно значение / 38 балнеолечебни, 48 планински климатични, 15 морски климатични/. Балнеоложки, климатични и калолечебни центрове по Черноморското крайбрежие - к.к."Албена", к.к. "Златни пясъци", к.к."Св.Константин и Елена", к.к."Слънчев бряг", "Слънчев ден", Ваканционен клуб "Ривиера", Созопол, Китен, Приморско, Ахтопол, гр.Поморие, Балчик, Тузлата, Варненски калолечебни бани и др. Балнеоложки, климатични и калолечебни центрове във вътрешността на страната в полупланинска и планинска среда - Хисар, Велинград, Сандански, Кюстендил, Банкя, Павел баня, Наречен, Вършец, Костенец, Момин проход, Бургаски минерални бани, Старозагорски минерални бани, Сливенски минерални бани, Хасковски минерални бани, с.Баня, Сапарева баня, Боровец, Пампорово, Трявна, Тетевен, Априлци, Елена, Котел, Дряново, Говедарци и др. Комфортно настаняване и обслужване, лечение и профилактика в духа на съвременните изисквания предлагат редица балнеохотели: х-л "Добруджа" **** в Албена, х-л "Амбасадор"*** и х-л "Империал" ***** във Ваканционен клуб "Ривиера" на Златните пясъци, х-л "Палас" **** и х-л "Марина" **** в Слънчев ден, Гранд Роял хотел Варна***** в "Св.Константин и Елена", х-л "Глобус" ***в Слънчев бряг, Интерхотел Поморие *** в град Поморие, х-л "Сандански" **** и х-л "Свети Врач" ***** в град Сандански, х-л "Аугуста" *** в град Хисаря, х-л "Велина" *** и х-л "Камена" **** в град Велинград, х-л "Велбъжд" ***в град Кюстендил и др. Балнеохотелите с висококвалифицирания си персонал предлагат широк спектър от услуги и програми като: класически вани с минерална вода, таласотерапия, класически, подводни и нетрадиционни масажи, перлени вани, хелиопрофилактика, лечебна физкултура, мануална терапия, масажи, рефлексотерапия ? традиционна иглотерапия, акупунктура, акупресура, лазерпунктура, китайски енергиен хидромасаж, озоно- и кислодиотерапия, криотерапия, лечение с парафин, инхалации, апитерапия, ароматотерапия, фитотерапия калолечебни и луголечебни апликации, програми, , програми, насочени към "третата възраст", антистресови програми, програми за отслабване, диетични режими, балнеокозметика, сауна, солариум, фитнес, медицинска козметика, естетична хирургия и много други. Успоредно с провеждането на лечение и профилактика се предлагат богати възможности за спорт - водни спортове, тенис на корт, вело-спорт, джогинг, пешеходни турове в планинска среда и др. Всички бази са специализирани за провеждане на лечение и профилактика, съобразно спецификата на различните заболявания, а програмите се ръководят от квалифицирани медици. Наред с почивка и лечение, гостите имат възможност да опознаят културата на България, участвайки в комбинирани програми във вътрешността на страната и по Черноморието. Древното културно наследство на България, самобитният фолклор и традиции, оригиналната българска кухня в комбинация с екологично чиста ни природа и богатството на термални води са нашите акредитиви към съвременния свят и Новото хилядолетие.
Болгария : Необходимые документы
Чтобы приехать в Болгарию, необходимо иметь: Необходимые документы: действительный загранпаспорт (или иной замещающий его документ), въездная виза или транзитная виза, либо приглашение в случаях безвизового режима. Виза является разрешением на въезд, выезд, пребывание или транзитное прохождение через территорию Болгарии, причем вид выданной визы зависит от цели посещения, срока и места выдачи. Визы могут быть выданы (соответственно это и виды виз): 1. трансферт в аэропорту; 2. транзитное перемещение; 3. краткосрочное пребывание; 4. групповые; 5. долгосрочное пребывание; 6. выданные при пересечении границы. Срок пребывания в стране на основании визы не может быть более 90 дней. Выдача виз для долгосрочного пребывания предварительно согласуется со службой по административному контролю над иностранцами. Иностранцу может быть отказано во въезде в страну или выдаче ему визы если: 1. своими действиями поставил под угрозу стабильность или интересы страны, или имеются данные о том, что он действует против стабильности страны; 2. своими действиями он ущемил достоинство и престиж болгарского народа и болгарского государства; 3. является членом преступной организации, занимается незаконной деятельностью, подлежащей уголовному преследованию, включая торговлю людьми и их незаконное перемещение через границу; 4. был выслан из страны не менее 10 лет назад, а также не восстановил в 6-месячный срок государственные затраты на его высылку; 5. совершил уголовное преступление на территории Болгарии и приговором суда был осужден к лишению свободы на срок не менее, чем 3 года; 6. для въезда/транзита в/через страну использовал фальшивые или поддельные документы; 7. страдает заболеванием, опасным для общественного здоровья в стране (по критериям Международной организации здравоохранения) или у него нет сертификата о вакцинации или прибыл из района с тяжелой эпидемической обстановкой; 8. не располагает необходимыми средствами для самообеспечения и обязательной страховки, необходимыми во время его пребывания в Болгарии, а также для последующего выезда из страны; 9. ранее нарушал пограничный, паспортно-визовый режим, валютный или таможенный режим Республики Болгарии; 10. при своем предыдущем пребывании нарушил трудовое или налоговое законодательство страны; 11. является кандидатом на въездную визу с документом, подтверждающим окончательный выезд с территории другой страны, в которой он до этого момента пребывал. В визе может быть отказано, если лицо въезжает в страну как иммигрант, не имея специального разрешения для этого или имеются данные, что лицо планирует использовать территорию Болгарии как транзитную зону для миграции в другие страны. Виза на краткосрочное пребывание выдается иностранцу, который въезжает в страну один или несколько раз на срок до 90 дней в рамках 6 месяцев с момента первого пересечения границы. Многоразовая виза на краткосрочное пребывание может выдаваться сроком до 1 года, если иное не предусмотрено международными договорами или актами Правительства. Групповая виза выдается на срок до 30 дней (при наличии группового паспорта). Необходимые документы и требования при въезде и транзите через территорию Болгарии: 1. располагает необходимыми финансовыми ресурсами содержать себя (40$ на человека в день); 2. располагает необходимыми финансовыми ресурсами для выезда из страны; 3. въездная или транзитная виза для государства, которое он будет посещать или через которое он будет проезжать, если это необходимо; 4. обязательная страховка определена актом Правительства. Подробнее о порядке въезда и выезда иностранных граждан в республике Болгария смотрите на официальном сайте посольства страны по адресу: http://www.bolgaria.ru и http://travelbulgaria.ru
NEGOTIATIONS ON ACCESSION BY BULGARIA AND ROMANIA TO THE EUROPEAN UNION
NEGOTIATIONS ON ACCESSION BY BULGARIA AND ROMANIA TO THE EUROPEAN UNIONBrussels, 4 February 2005 AA 1/05 Договор за присъединяване на Република България и Румъния към Европейския съюз NEGOTIATIONS ON ACCESSION BY BULGARIA AND ROMANIA TO THE EUROPEAN UNION TREATY OF ACCESSION: TABLE OF CONTENTS DRAFT LEGISLATIVE ACTS AND OTHER INSTRUMENTS Delegations will find attached the draft Treaty of Accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the European Union: TABLE OF CONTENTS. TABLE OF CONTENTS A. Treaty between the Kingdom of Belgium, the Czech Republic, the Kingdom of Denmark, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Republic of Estonia, the Hellenic Republic, the Kingdom of Spain, the French Republic, Ireland, the Italian Republic, the Republic of Cyprus, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the Republic of Hungary, the Republic of Malta, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Republic of Austria, the Republic of Poland, the Portuguese Republic, the Republic of Slovenia, the Slovak Republic, the Republic of Finland, the Kingdom of Sweden, the United Kingdom of Great Britain And Northern Ireland (Member States of the European Union) and the Republic of Bulgaria, Romania, concerning the accession of the Republic of Bulgaria and Romania to the European Union B. Protocol concerning the conditions and arrangements for admission of the Republic of Bulgaria and of Romania to the European Union Part One: Principles Part Two: Adjustments to the Constitution Title I: Institutional provisions Title II: Other adjustments Part Three: Permanent provisions Title I: Adaptations to acts adopted by the institutions Title II: Other provisions Part Four: Temporary provisions Title I: Transitional measures Title II: Institutional provisions Title III: Financial provisions Title IV: Other provisions Part Five: Provisions relating to the implementation of this Protocol Title I: Setting up of the institutions and bodies Title II: Applicability of the acts of the institutions Title III: Final provisions Annexes Annex I: List of conventions and protocols to which Bulgaria and Romania accede upon accession (referred to in Article 3(3)) Annex II: List of provisions of the Schengen acquis as integrated into the framework of the European Union and the acts building upon it or otherwise related to it, to be binding on and applicable in the new Member States as from accession (referred to in Article 4(1)) Annex III: List referred to in Article 15 of the Protocol 1. Company law Industrial property rights I. Community trade mark II. Supplementary protection certificates III. Community designs 2. Agriculture 3. Transport policy 4. Taxation Annex IV: List referred to in Article 16 of the Protocol Agriculture A. Agricultural legislation B. Veterinary and phytosanitary legislation Annex V: List referred to in Article 17 of the Protocol 1. Company law 2. Competition policy 3. Agriculture 4. Customs union Appendix to Annex V Annex VI: List referred to in Article 19 of the Protocol: Bulgaria 1. Freedom of movement for persons 2. Freedom to provide services 3. Free movement of capital 4. Agriculture A. Agricultural legislation B. Veterinary and phytosanitary legislation 5. Transport policy 6. Taxation 7. Social policy and employment 8. Energy 9. Telecommunications and information technologies 10. Environment A. Air quality B. Waste management C. Water quality D. Industrial pollution and risk management Appendix to Annex VI Annex VII: List referred to in Article 19 of the Protocol: Romania 1. Freedom of movement for persons 2. Freedom to provide services 3. Free movement of capital 4. Competition policy A. Fiscal aid B. Steel restructuring 5. Agriculture A. Agricultural legislation B. Veterinary and phytosanitary legislation I. Veterinary legislation II. Phytosanitary legislation 6. Transport policy 7. Taxation 8. Energy 9. Environment A. Air quality B. Waste management C. Water quality D. Industrial pollution and risk management Appendix A to Annex VII Appendix B to Annex VII Annex VIII :Rural development Annex IX: Specific commitments undertaken, and requirements accepted, by Romania at the conclusion of the accession negotiations on 14 December 2004 C. Act concerning the conditions of accession of the Republic of Bulgaria and Romania and the adjustments to the Treaties on which the European Union is founded Part One: Principles Part Two: Adjustments to the Treaties Title I: Institutional provisions Title II: Other adjustments Part Three: Permanent provisions Title I: Adaptations to acts adopted by the institutions Title II: Other provisions Part Four: Temporary provisions Title I: Transitional measures Title II: Institutional provisions Title III: Financial provisions Title IV: Other provisions Part Five: Provisions relating to the implementation of this Act Title I: Setting up of the institutions and bodies Title II: Applicability of the acts of the institutions Title III: Final provisions Annexes Annex I: List of conventions and protocols to which Bulgaria and Romania accede upon accession (referred to in Article 3(3)) Annex II: List of provisions of the Schengen acquis as integrated into the framework of the European Union and the acts building upon it or otherwise related to it, to be binding on and applicable in the new Member States as from accession (referred to in Article 4(1)) Annex III: List referred to in Article 19 of the Act of Accession 1. Company law Industrial property rights I. Community trade mark II. Supplementary protection certificates III. Community designs 2. Agriculture 3. Transport policy 4. Taxation Annex IV: List referred to in Article 20 of the Act of Accession Agriculture A. Agricultural legislation B. Veterinary and phytosanitary legislation Annex V: List referred to in Article 21 of the Act of Accession 1. Company law 2. Competition policy 3. Agriculture 4. Customs union Appendix to Annex V Annex VI: List referred to in Article 23 of the Act of Accession: Bulgaria 1. Freedom of movement for persons 2. Freedom to provide services 3. Free movement of capital 4. Agriculture A. Agricultural legislation B. Veterinary and phytosanitary legislation 5. Transport policy 6. Taxation 7. Social policy and employment 8. Energy 9. Telecommunications and information technologies 10. Environment A. Air quality B. Waste management C. Water quality D. Industrial pollution and risk management Appendix to Annex VI Annex VII: List referred to in Article 23 of the Act of Accession: Romania 1. Freedom of movement for persons 2. Freedom to provide services 3. Free movement of capital 4. Competition policy A. Fiscal aid B. Steel restructuring 5. Agriculture A. Agricultural legislation B. Veterinary and phytosanitary legislation I. Veterinary legislation II. Phytosanitary legislation 6. Transport policy 7. Taxation 8. Energy 9. Environment A. Air quality B. Waste management C. Water quality D. Industrial pollution and risk management Appendix A to Annex VII Appendix B to Annex VII Annex VIII :Rural development Annex IX: Specific commitments undertaken, and requirements accepted, by Romania at the conclusion of the accession negotiations on 14 December 2004 Final Act I. Text of the Final Act II. Declarations A. Joint Declarations by the present Member States 1. Joint Declaration on the free movement of workers: Bulgaria 2. Joint Declaration on grain legumes: Bulgaria 3. Joint Declaration on the free movement of workers: Romania 4. Joint Declaration on rural development: Bulgaria and Romania B. Joint Declaration by the present Member States and the Commission 5. Joint Declaration on Bulgaria's and Romania's preparations for accession C. Joint Declaration by the Federal Republic of Germany and the Republic of Austria 6. Joint Declaration by the Federal Republic of Germany and the Republic of Austria on the free movement of workers: Bulgaria and Romania D. Declaration by the Republic of Bulgaria 7. Declaration by the Republic of Bulgaria on the use of the Cyrillic alphabet in the European Union III. Exchange of Letters between the European Union and the Republic of Bulgaria and Romania on an information and consultation procedure for the adoption of certain decisions and other measures to be taken during the period preceding accession -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NEGOTIATIONS ON ACCESSION BY BULGARIA AND ROMANIA TO THE EUROPEAN UNION Brussels, 4 February 2005 AA 2/05 TREATY OF ACCESSION: TREATY DRAFT LEGISLATIVE ACTS AND OTHER INSTRUMENTS Delegations will find attached the draft Treaty of Accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the European Union: TREATY. Source document(s): MD 169/10/04 REV 10 (AC 169/1/05 REV 1) TREATY BETWEEN THE KINGDOM OF BELGIUM, THE CZECH REPUBLIC, THE KINGDOM OF DENMARK, THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY, THE REPUBLIC OF ESTONIA, THE HELLENIC REPUBLIC, THE KINGDOM OF SPAIN, THE FRENCH REPUBLIC, IRELAND, THE ITALIAN REPUBLIC, THE REPUBLIC OF CYPRUS, THE REPUBLIC OF LATVIA, THE REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA, THE GRAND DUCHY OF LUXEMBOURG, THE REPUBLIC OF HUNGARY, THE REPUBLIC OF MALTA, THE KINGDOM OF THE NETHERLANDS, THE REPUBLIC OF AUSTRIA, THE REPUBLIC OF POLAND, THE PORTUGUESE REPUBLIC, THE REPUBLIC OF SLOVENIA, THE SLOVAK REPUBLIC, THE REPUBLIC OF FINLAND, THE KINGDOM OF SWEDEN, THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND (MEMBER STATES OF THE EUROPEAN UNION) AND THE REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA, ROMANIA, CONCERNING THE ACCESSION OF THE REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA AND ROMANIA TO THE EUROPEAN UNION HIS MAJESTY THE KING OF THE BELGIANS, THE GOVERNMENT OF the Republic of Bulgaria, THE PRESIDENT OF the Czech Republic, HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN OF DENMARK, THE PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY, THE PRESIDENT OF the Republic of Estonia, THE PRESIDENT OF THE HELLENIC REPUBLIC, HIS MAJESTY THE KING OF SPAIN, THE PRESIDENT OF THE FRENCH REPUBLIC, THE PRESIDENT OF IRELAND, THE PRESIDENT OF THE ITALIAN REPUBLIC, THE PRESIDENT OF the Republic of Cyprus, THE PRESIDENT OF the Republic of Latvia, THE PRESIDENT OF the Republic of Lithuania, HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE GRAND DUKE OF LUXEMBOURG, THE PRESIDENT OF the Republic of Hungary, THE PRESIDENT OF Malta, HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN OF THE NETHERLANDS, THE FEDERAL PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF AUSTRIA, THE PRESIDENT OF the Republic of Poland, THE PRESIDENT OF THE PORTUGUESE REPUBLIC, THE PRESIDENT OF ROMANIA, THE PRESIDENT OF the Republic of Slovenia, THE PRESIDENT OF the Slovak Republic, THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF FINLAND, THE GOVERNMENT OF THE kingdom OF SWEDEN, HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN OF THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND, UNITED in their desire to pursue the attainment of the objectives of the European Union, DETERMINED to continue the process of creating an ever closer union among the peoples of Europe on the foundations already laid, CONSIDERING that Article I-58 of the Constitution, like Article 49 of the Treaty on European Union, affords European States the opportunity of becoming members of the Union, CONSIDERING that the Republic of Bulgaria and Romania have applied to become members of the Union, CONSIDERING that the Council, after having obtained the opinion of the Commission and the assent of the European Parliament, has declared itself in favour of the admission of these States, CONSIDERING that, at the time of signature of this Treaty, the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe was signed but not yet ratified by all Member States of the Union and that the Republic of Bulgaria and Romania will join the European Union as constituted on 1 January 2007, HAVE AGREED on the conditions and arrangements for admission, and to this end have designated as their Plenipotentiaries: HIS MAJESTY THE KING OF THE BELGIANS, [List signatories] THE GOVERNMENT OF the Republic of Bulgaria, [List signatories] THE PRESIDENT OF the Czech Republic, [List signatories] HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN OF DENMARK, [List signatories] THE PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY, [List signatories] THE PRESIDENT OF the Republic of Estonia, [List signatories] THE PRESIDENT OF THE HELLENIC REPUBLIC, [List signatories] HIS MAJESTY THE KING OF SPAIN, [List signatories] THE PRESIDENT OF THE FRENCH REPUBLIC, [List signatories] THE PRESIDENT OF IRELAND, [List signatories] THE PRESIDENT OF THE ITALIAN REPUBLIC, [List signatories] THE PRESIDENT OF the Republic of Cyprus, [List signatories] THE PRESIDENT OF the Republic of Latvia, [List signatories] THE PRESIDENT OF the Republic of Lithuania, [List signatories] HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE GRAND DUKE OF LUXEMBOURG, [List signatories] THE PRESIDENT OF the Republic of Hungary, [List signatories] THE PRESIDENT OF Malta, [List signatories] HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN OF THE NETHERLANDS, [List signatories] THE FEDERAL PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF AUSTRIA, [List signatories] THE PRESIDENT OF the Republic of Poland, [List signatories] THE PRESIDENT OF THE PORTUGUESE REPUBLIC, [List signatories] THE PRESIDENT OF ROMANIA, [List signatories] THE PRESIDENT OF the Republic of Slovenia, [List signatories] THE PRESIDENT OF the Slovak Republic, [List signatories] THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF FINLAND, [List signatories] THE GOVERNMENT OF THE KINGDOM OF SWEDEN, [List signatories] HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN OF THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND, [List signatories] WHO, having exchanged their full powers found in good and due form, HAVE AGREED AS FOLLOWS: ARTICLE 1 1. The Republic of Bulgaria and Romania hereby become members of the European Union. 2. The Republic of Bulgaria and Romania become Parties to the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe and to the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community as amended or supplemented. 3. The conditions and arrangements for admission are set out in the Protocol annexed to this Treaty. The provisions of that Protocol shall form an integral part of this Treaty. 4. The Protocol, including its Annexes and Appendices, shall be annexed to the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe and to the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community, and its provisions shall form an integral part of those Treaties. ARTICLE 2 1. In the event that the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe is not in force on the date of accession, the Republic of Bulgaria and Romania become Parties to the Treaties on which the Union is founded, as amended or supplemented. In such event Article 1(2) to (4) shall become applicable from the date of entry into force of the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe. 2. The conditions of admission and the adjustments to the Treaties on which the Union is founded, entailed by such admission, which will apply from the date of accession until the date of entry into force of the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe, are set out in the Act annexed to this Treaty. The provisions of that Act shall form an integral part of this Treaty. 3. In the event that the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe enters into force after accession, the Protocol referred to in Article 1(3) shall replace the Act referred to in Article 2(2) on the date of entry into force of the said Treaty. In such event, the provisions of the aforementioned Protocol shall not be considered as creating a new legal effect, but as preserving, under the conditions laid down in the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe, the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community and that Protocol, the legal effects which have already been created by the provisions of the Act referred to in Article 2(2). Acts adopted prior to the entry into force of the Protocol referred to in Article 1(3) on the basis of the present Treaty or the Act referred to in paragraph 2 shall remain in force and their legal effects shall be preserved until those acts are amended or repealed. ARTICLE 3 The provisions concerning the rights and obligations of the Member States and the powers and jurisdiction of the institutions of the Union as set out in the Treaties to which the Republic of Bulgaria and Romania become Parties shall apply in respect of this Treaty. ARTICLE 4 1. This Treaty shall be ratified by the High Contracting Parties in accordance with their respective constitutional requirements. The instruments of ratification shall be deposited with the Government of the Italian Republic by 31 December 2006 at the latest. 2. This Treaty shall enter into force on 1 January 2007 provided that all the instruments of ratification have been deposited before that date. If, however, a State referred to in Article 1(1) has not deposited its instrument of ratification in due time, the Treaty shall enter into force for the other State which has deposited its instrument. In this case, the Council, acting unanimously, shall decide immediately upon such adjustments as have become indispensable to Articles 5 and 6 of this Treaty, to Articles [INSERT REFERENCES TO SPECIFIC PROVISIONS: ] of the Protocol referred to in Article 1(3) and, as the case may be, to Articles [INSERT REFERENCES TO SPECIFIC PROVISIONS: ] of the Act referred to in Article 2(2); acting unanimously, it may also declare that those provisions of the aforementioned Protocol, including its Annexes and Appendices and, as the case may be, of the aforementioned Act, including its Annexes and Appendices, which refer expressly to a State which has not deposited its instrument of ratification have lapsed, or it may adjust them. Notwithstanding the deposit of all necessary instruments of ratification in accordance with paragraph 1, this Treaty shall enter into force on 1 January 2008, if the Council adopts a decision concerning both acceding States under Article [20 of Part 4] of the Protocol referred to in Article 1(3), or under Article [17 of Part 4] of the Act referred to in Article 2(2) prior to the entry into force of the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe. If such a decision is taken with respect to only one of the acceding States this Treaty shall enter into force for that State on 1 January 2008. 3. Notwithstanding paragraph 2 the institutions of the Union may adopt before accession the measures referred to in Articles [INSERT REFERENCES TO SPECIFIC PROVISIONS, including to Article 20(1) second subparagraph of Part 4] of the Protocol referred to in Article 1(3). Such measures shall be adopted under the equivalent provisions in Articles [INSERT REFERENCES TO SPECIFIC PROVISIONS including to Article 17(1) second subparagraph of Part 4] of the Act referred to in Article 2(2), prior to the entry into force of the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe. These measures shall enter into force only subject to and on the date of the entry into force of this Treaty. ARTICLE Article 5 The text of the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe drawn up in the Bulgarian and Romanian languages shall be annexed to the present Treaty. Those texts shall be authentic under the same conditions as the texts of the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe drawn up in the Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Irish, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish and Swedish languages. The Government of the Italian Republic shall remit to the Governments of the Republic of Bulgaria and Romania a certified copy of the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe in all the languages referred to in the first paragraph. ARTICLE Article 6 This Treaty, drawn up in a single original in the Bulgarian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Irish, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish and Swedish languages, the texts in each of these languages being equally authentic, shall be deposited in the archives of the Government of the Italian Republic, which will remit a certified copy to each of the Governments of the other Signatory States. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NEGOTIATIONS ON ACCESSION BY BULGARIA AND ROMANIA TO THE EUROPEAN UNION Brussels, 4 February 2005 AA 3/05 TREATY OF ACCESSION: PROTOCOL DRAFT LEGISLATIVE ACTS AND OTHER INSTRUMENTS Delegations will find attached the draft Treaty of Accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the European Union: PROTOCOL. Source document(s): MD 132/9/04 REV 9 (AC 132/1/05 REV 1) MD 168/2/04 REV 2 (AC 168/1/05 REV 1) MD 172/5/04 REV 5 (AC 172/1/05 REV 1) MD 173/2/04 REV 2 (AC 173/1/05 REV 1) MD 174/10/04 REV 10 (AC 174/1/04 REV 1) MD 175/6/04 REV 6 (AC 175/1/05 REV 1) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PROTOCOL CONCERNING THE CONDITIONS AND ARRANGEMENTS FOR ADMISSION OF THE REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA AND OF ROMANIA TO THE EUROPEAN UNION THE HIGH CONTRACTING PARTIES, CONSIDERING that the Republic of Bulgaria and Romania become members of the European Union on 1 January 2007; CONSIDERING that Article I-58 of the Constitution provides that the conditions and arrangements for admission shall be the subject of an agreement between the Member States and the candidate State; HAVE AGREED UPON the following provisions, which shall be annexed to the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe and to the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community: PART ONE PRINCIPLES ARTICLE 1 1. For the purposes of this Protocol: - the expression "Constitution" means: the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe; - the expression "EAEC Treaty" means the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community, as supplemented or amended by treaties or other acts which entered into force before accession; - the expression "present Member States" means the Kingdom of Belgium, the Czech Republic, the Kingdom of Denmark, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Republic of Estonia, the Hellenic Republic, the Kingdom of Spain, the French Republic, Ireland, the Italian Republic, the Republic of Cyprus, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the Republic of Hungary, the Republic of Malta, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Republic of Austria, the Republic of Poland, the Portuguese Republic, the Republic of Slovenia, the Slovak Republic, the Republic of Finland, the Kingdom of Sweden and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; - the expression "new Member States" means the Republic of Bulgaria and Romania; - the expression "the institutions" means the institutions established by the Constitution. 2. The references in the present Protocol to the Constitution and to the Union shall, where appropriate, be taken as references, respectively, to the EAEC Treaty and to the Community established by the EAEC Treaty. ARTICLE 2 From the date of accession, the provisions of the Constitution, the EAEC Treaty and the acts adopted by the institutions before accession shall be binding on Bulgaria and Romania and shall apply in those States under the conditions laid down in the Constitution, the EAEC Treaty and in this Protocol. ARTICLE 3 1. Bulgaria and Romania accede to the decisions and agreements adopted by the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States meeting within the Council. 2. Bulgaria and Romania are in the same situation as the present Member States in respect of declarations or resolutions of, or other positions taken up by, the European Council or the Council and in respect of those concerning the Union adopted by common agreement of the Member States; they will accordingly observe the principles and guidelines deriving from those declarations, resolutions or other positions and will take such measures as may be necessary to ensure their implementation. 3. Bulgaria and Romania accede to the conventions and protocols listed in Annex I. Those conventions and protocols shall enter into force in relation to Bulgaria and Romania on the date determined by the Council in the decisions referred to in paragraph 4. 4. The Council, acting unanimously on a recommendation by the Commission and after consulting the European Parliament, shall adopt European decisions making all adjustments required by reason of accession to the conventions and protocols referred to in paragraph 3 and publish the adapted text in the Official Journal of the European Union. 5. The new Member States undertake in respect of the conventions and protocols referred to in paragraph 3 to introduce administrative and other arrangements, such as those adopted by the date of accession by the present Member States or by the Council, and to facilitate practical cooperation between the Member States' institutions and organisations. 6. The Council, acting unanimously on a proposal from the Commission, may adopt European decisions supplementing Annex I with those conventions, agreements and protocols signed before the date of accession. 7. The particular instruments mentioned in this Article include those referred to in Article IV-438 of the Constitution. ARTICLE 4 1. The provisions of the Schengen acquis, referred to in Protocol No 17 to the Constitution, on the Schengen acquis integrated into the framework of the European Union, and the acts building upon it or otherwise related to it, listed in Annex II, as well as any further such acts adopted before the date of accession, shall be binding on and applicable in Bulgaria and Romania from the date of accession. 2. Those provisions of the Schengen acquis as integrated into the framework of the European Union and the acts building upon it or otherwise related to it not referred to in paragraph 1, while binding on Bulgaria and Romania from the date of accession, shall only apply in each of those States pursuant to a European decision of the Council to that effect after verification in accordance with the applicable Schengen evaluation procedures that the necessary conditions for the application of all parts of the acquis concerned have been met in that State. The Council shall take its decision, after consulting the European Parliament, acting with the unanimity of its members representing the Governments of the Member States in respect of which the provisions referred to in the present paragraph have already been put into effect and of the representative of the Government of the Member State in respect of which those provisions are to be put into effect. The members of the Council representing the Governments of Ireland and of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland shall take part in such a decision insofar as it relates to the provisions of the Schengen acquis and the acts building upon it or otherwise related to it in which these Member States participate. ARTICLE 5 Bulgaria and Romania shall participate in Economic and Monetary Union from the date of accession as a Member State with a derogation within the meaning of Article III-197 of the Constitution. ARTICLE 6 1. The agreements or conventions concluded or provisionally applied by the Union with one or more third States, with an international organisation or with a national of a third State, shall, under the conditions laid down in the Constitution and in this Protocol, be binding on Bulgaria and Romania. 2. Bulgaria and Romania undertake to accede, under the conditions laid down in this Protocol, to the agreements or conventions concluded or signed by the Union and the present Member States, acting jointly. The accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the agreements or conventions concluded or signed by the Union and the present Member States acting jointly with particular third countries or international organisations shall be agreed by the conclusion of a protocol to such agreements or conventions between the Council, acting unanimously on behalf of the Member States, and the third country or countries or international organisation concerned. The Commission shall negotiate these protocols on behalf of the Member States on the basis of negotiating directives approved by the Council, acting unanimously, and in consultation with a committee comprised of the representatives of the Member States. It shall submit a draft of the protocols for conclusion to the Council. This procedure is without prejudice to the exercise of the Union's own competences and does not affect the allocation of powers between the Union and the Member States as regards the conclusion of such agreements in the future or any other amendments not related to accession. 3. Upon acceding to the agreements and conventions referred to in paragraph 2 Bulgaria and Romania shall acquire the same rights and obligations under those agreements and conventions as the present Member States. 4. As from the date of accession, and pending the entry into force of the necessary protocols referred to in paragraph 2, Bulgaria and Romania shall apply the provisions of the agreements or conventions concluded jointly by the Union and the present Member States before accession, with the exception of the agreement on the free movement of persons concluded with Switzerland. This obligation also applies to those agreements or conventions which the Union and the present Member States have agreed to apply provisionally. Pending the entry into force of the protocols referred to in paragraph 2, the Union and the Member States, acting jointly as appropriate in the framework of their respective competences, shall take any appropriate measure. 5. Bulgaria and Romania accede to the Partnership Agreement between the members of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States of the one part, and the European Community and its Member States, of the other part(1), signed in Cotonou on 23 June 2000. 6. Bulgaria and Romania undertake to accede, under the conditions laid down in this Protocol, to the Agreement on the European Economic Area(1), in accordance with Article 128 of that Agreement. 7. As from the date of accession, Bulgaria and Romania shall apply the bilateral textile agreements and arrangements concluded by the Union with third countries. The quantitative restrictions applied by the Union on imports of textile and clothing products shall be adjusted to take account of the accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the Union. To that effect, amendments to the bilateral agreements and arrangements referred to above may be negotiated by the Union with the third countries concerned prior to the date of accession. Should the amendments to the bilateral textile agreements and arrangements not have entered into force by the date of accession, the Union shall make the necessary adjustments to its rules for the import of textile and clothing products from third countries to take into account the accession of Bulgaria and Romania. 8. The quantitative restrictions applied by the Union on imports of steel and steel products shall be adjusted on the basis of imports of Bulgaria and Romania over recent years of steel products originating in the supplier countries concerned. To that effect, the necessary amendments to the bilateral steel agreements and arrangements concluded by the Union with third countries shall be negotiated prior to the date of accession. Should the amendments to the bilateral agreements and arrangements not have entered into force by the date of accession, the provisions of the first subparagraph shall apply. 9. Fisheries agreements concluded before accession by Bulgaria or Romania with third countries shall be managed by the Union. The rights and obligations resulting for Bulgaria and Romania from those agreements shall not be affected during the period in which the provisions of those agreements are provisionally maintained. As soon as possible, and in any event before the expiry of the agreements referred to in the first subparagraph, appropriate decisions for the continuation of fishing activities resulting from those agreements shall be adopted in each case by the Council on a proposal from the Commission, including the possibility of extending certain agreements for periods not exceeding one year. 10. With effect from the date of accession, Bulgaria and Romania shall withdraw from any free trade agreements with third countries, including the Central European Free Trade Agreement. To the extent that agreements between Bulgaria, Romania or both those States on the one hand, and one or more third countries on the other, are not compatible with the obligations arising from this Protocol, Bulgaria and Romania shall take all appropriate steps to eliminate the incompatibilities established. If Bulgaria or Romania encounters difficulties in adjusting an agreement concluded with one or more third countries before accession, it shall, according to the terms of the agreement, withdraw from that agreement. 11. Bulgaria and Romania accede under the conditions laid down in this Protocol to the internal agreements concluded by the present Member States for the purpose of implementing the agreements or conventions referred to in paragraphs 2, 5 and 6. 12. Bulgaria and Romania shall take appropriate measures, where necessary, to adjust their position in relation to international organisations, and to those international agreements to which the Union or to which other Member States are also parties, to the rights and obligations arising from their accession to the Union. They shall in particular withdraw at the date of accession or the earliest possible date thereafter from international fisheries agreements and organisations to which the Union is also a party, unless their membership relates to matters other than fisheries. 13. Where the present Article refers to conventions and agreements concluded or signed by the Union, they include those referred to in Article IV-438 of the Constitution. ARTICLE 7 1. A European law of the Council may repeal the transitional provisions set out in this Protocol, when they are no longer applicable. The Council shall act unanimously after consulting the European Parliament. 2. Acts adopted by the institutions to which the transitional provisions laid down in this Protocol relate shall retain their status in law; in particular, the procedures for amending those acts shall continue to apply. 3. Provisions of this Protocol the purpose or effect of which is to repeal or amend acts adopted by the institutions, otherwise than as a transitional measure, shall have the same status in law as the provisions which they repeal or amend and shall be subject to the same rules as those provisions. ARTICLE 8 The application of the Constitution and acts adopted by the institutions shall, as a transitional measure, be subject to the derogations provided for in this Protocol. PART TWO ADJUSTMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION TITLE I INSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS ARTICLE 9 1. Article 9, first paragraph, of Protocol No 3 on the Statute of the Court of Justice of the European Union, annexed to the Constitution and the EAEC Treaty, is replaced by the following: "When, every three years, the Judges are partially replaced, fourteen and thirteen Judges shall be replaced alternately.". 2. Article 48 of Protocol No 3 on the Statute of the Court of Justice of the European Union, annexed to the Constitution and the EAEC Treaty, is replaced by the following: "Article 48 The General Court shall consist of twenty-seven Judges.". ARTICLE 10 Protocol No 5 on the Statute of the European Investment Bank, annexed to the Constitution, is amended as follows: 1. In Article 4(1), first subparagraph, the introductory sentence is replaced by the following: "The capital of the Bank shall be EUR 164 795 737 000, subscribed by the Member States as follows(1):", the following is inserted between the entries for Ireland and Slovakia: "Romania 846 000 000" and, the following is inserted between the entries for Slovenia and Lithuania: "Bulgaria 296 000 000" ________________ (1) The figures quoted for Bulgaria and Romania are indicative and based on the 2003 data published by Eurostat. 2. In Article 9(2), the first sentence is replaced by the following: "The Board of Directors shall consist of twenty-eight directors and sixteen alternate directors." and, the penultimate indent is replaced by the following: "- three alternates nominated by common accord of the Republic of Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Cyprus, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Hungary, the Republic of Malta, the Republic of Poland, Romania, the Republic of Slovenia and the Slovak Republic," ARTICLE 11 Article 134(2), first subparagraph, of the EAEC Treaty on the composition of the Scientific and Technical Committee is replaced by the following: "2. The Committee shall consist of forty-one members, appointed by the Council after consultation with the Commission." TITLE II OTHER ADJUSTMENTS ARTICLE 12 The last sentence of Article III-157(1) of the Constitution is replaced by the following: "With regard to restrictions existing under national law in Bulgaria, Estonia and Hungary, the date in question shall be 31 December 1999." ARTICLE 13 Article IV-440(1) of the Constitution is replaced by the following: "1. This Treaty shall apply to the Kingdom of Belgium, the Republic of Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, the Kingdom of Denmark, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Republic of Estonia, the Hellenic Republic, the Kingdom of Spain, the French Republic, Ireland, the Italian Republic, the Republic of Cyprus, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the Republic of Hungary, the Republic of Malta, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Republic of Austria, the Republic of Poland, the Portuguese Republic, Romania, the Republic of Slovenia, the Slovak Republic, the Republic of Finland, the Kingdom of Sweden and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland." ARTICLE 14 1. A second subparagraph is added to Article IV-448 (1) of the Constitution: "Pursuant to the Accession Treaty, the Bulgarian and Romanian versions of this Treaty shall also be authentic." 2. The second paragraph of Article 225 of the EAEC Treaty is replaced by the following: "The Bulgarian, Czech, Danish, English, Estonian, Finnish, Greek, Hungarian, Irish, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish and Swedish versions of this Treaty shall also be authentic." PART THREE PERMANENT PROVISIONS TITLE I ADAPTATIONS TO ACTS ADOPTED BY THE INSTITUTIONS ARTICLE 15 The acts listed in Annex III to this Protocol shall be adapted as specified in that Annex. ARTICLE 16 The adaptations to the acts listed in Annex IV to this Protocol made necessary by accession shall be drawn up in conformity with the guidelines set out in that Annex and, unless otherwise specified, in accordance with the procedure and under the conditions laid down in Article 55. TITLE II OTHER PROVISIONS ARTICLE 17 The measures listed in Annex V to this Protocol shall be applied under the conditions laid down in that Annex. ARTICLE 18 A European law of the Council may make the adaptations to the provisions of this Protocol relating to the common agricultural policy which may prove necessary as a result of a modification of Union law. The Council shall act unanimously after consulting the European Parliament. PART FOUR TEMPORARY PROVISIONS TITLE I TRANSITIONAL MEASURES ARTICLE 19 The measures listed in Annexes VI and VII to this Protocol shall apply in respect of Bulgaria and Romania under the conditions laid down in those Annexes. TITLE II INSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS ARTICLE 20 1. In Article 1(2) of Protocol No 34 on the transitional provisions relating to the institutions and bodies of the Union, annexed to the Constitution and to the EAEC Treaty, the following subparagraph is added: "By way of derogation from the maximum number of Members of the European Parliament fixed in Article I-20(2) of the Constitution, the number of Members of the European Parliament shall be increased to take account of the accession of Bulgaria and Romania with the following number of Members from those countries for the period running from the date of accession until the beginning of the 2009-2014 term of the European Parliament: Bulgaria 18 Romania 35" 2. Before 31 December 2007, Bulgaria and Romania shall hold an election to the European Parliament, by direct universal suffrage of their citizens, of the number of Members fixed in paragraph 1, in accordance with the provisions of the Act concerning the election of the Members of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage(1). 3. By way of derogation from Article I-20(3) of the Constitution, the Members of the European Parliament representing the citizens of Bulgaria and Romania for the period running from the date of accession until each of the elections referred to in paragraph 2, shall be appointed by the Parliaments of those States within themselves in accordance with the procedure laid down by each of those States. ARTICLE 21 1. In Article 2(2), second subparagraph, of Protocol No 34 on the transitional provisions relating to the institutions and bodies of the Union, annexed to the Constitution and to the EAEC Treaty, the following is inserted between the entries for Belgium and the Czech Republic: "Bulgaria 10", and, between the entries for Portugal and Slovenia: "Romania 14". 2. Article 2(2), third subparagraph, of Protocol No 34 on the transitional provisions relating to the institutions and bodies of the Union, annexed to the Constitution and to the EAEC Treaty, is replaced by the following: "Acts shall be adopted if there are at least 255 votes in favour representing a majority of the members where, under the Constitution, they must be adopted on a proposal from the Commission. In other cases decisions shall be adopted if there are at least 255 votes in favour representing at least two thirds of the members.". ARTICLE 22 In Article 6 of Protocol No 34 on the transitional provisions relating to the institutions and bodies of the Union, annexed to the Constitution and to the EAEC Treaty, the following is inserted between the entries for Belgium and the Czech Republic: "Bulgaria 12", and, between the entries for Portugal and Slovenia: "Romania 15". ARTICLE 23 In Article 7 of Protocol No 34 on the transitional provisions relating to the institutions and bodies of the Union, annexed to the Constitution and to the EAEC Treaty, the following is inserted between the entries for Belgium and the Czech Republic: "Bulgaria 12", and, between the entries for Portugal and Slovenia: "Romania 15". TITLE III FINANCIAL PROVISIONS ARTICLE 24 1. From the date of the accession, Bulgaria and Romania shall pay the following amounts corresponding to their share of the capital paid in for the subscribed capital as defined in Article 4 of Protocol No 5 on the Statute of the European Investment Bank, annexed to the Constitution(1). Bulgaria EUR 14 800 000 Romania EUR 42 300 000 These contributions shall be paid in eight equal instalments falling due on 31/05/2007, 31/05/2008, 31/05/2009, 30/11/2009, 31/05/2010, 30/11/2010, 31/05/2011 and 30/11/2011. __________________ (1) The figures quoted are indicative and based on the 2003 data published by Eurostat. 2. Bulgaria and Romania shall contribute, in eight equal instalments falling due on the dates referred to in paragraph 1, to the reserves and provisions equivalent to reserves, as well as to the amount still to be appropriated to the reserves and provisions, comprising the balance of the profit and loss account, established at the end of the month preceding accession, as entered on the balance sheet of the Bank, in amounts corresponding to the following percentages of the reserves and provisions (1). Bulgaria 0,181% Romania 0,517% 3. The capital and payments provided for in paragraphs 1 and 2 shall be paid in by Bulgaria and Romania in cash in euro, save by way of derogation decided unanimously by the Board of Governors. _____________________ (1) The figures quoted are indicative and based on the 2003 data published by Eurostat. ARTICLE 25 1. Bulgaria and Romania shall pay the following amounts to the Research Fund for Coal and Steel referred to in Decision 2002/234/ECSC of the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States, meeting within the Council, of 27 February 2002 on the financial consequences of the expiry of the ECSC Treaty and on the Research Fund for Coal and Steel: (1) (EUR million, current prices) Bulgaria 11,95 Romania 29,88 2. The contributions to the Research Fund for Coal and Steel shall be made in four instalments starting in 2009 and paid as follows, in each case on the first working day of the first month of each year: 2009: 15% 2010: 20% 2011: 30% 2012: 35%. ________________________ (1) OJ L 79, 22.3.2002, p. 42. ARTICLE 26 1. Tendering, contracting implementation and payments for pre-accession assistance under the Phare programme(1), the Phare CBC programme(2) and for assistance under the Transition Facility referred to in Article 30 shall be managed by implementing agencies in Bulgaria and Romania as of the date of accession. The ex-ante control by the Commission over tendering and contracting shall be waived by a Commission decision to that effect, following an accreditation procedure conducted by the Commission and a positively assessed Extended Decentralised Implementation System (EDIS) in accordance with the criteria and conditions laid down in the Annex to Council Regulation (EC) No 1266/1999 of 21 June 1999 on coordinating aid to the applicant countries in the framework of the pre-accession strategy and amending Regulation (EEC) No 3906/89(3) and in Article 164 of the Financial Regulation applicable to the general budget of the European Communities(4). ______________________________________ (1)Council Regulation (EEC) No 3906/89 of 18.12.1989 on economic aid to certain countries of Central and Eastern Europe (OJ L 375, 23.12.1989, p. 11). Regulation as last amended by Council Regulation (EC) No 769/2004 (OJ L 123, 27.4.2004, p. 1). (2)Commission Regulation (EC) No 2760/98 of 18.12.1998 concerning the implementation of a programme for cross-border cooperation in the framework of the PHARE programme (OJ L 345, 19.12.1998, p. 49). Regulation as last amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 1822/2003 (OJ L 267, 17.10.2003, p. 9). (3) OJ L 161, 26.6.1999, p. 68. (4) Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 of 25.6.2002 (OJ L 248, 16.9.2002, p. 1). If this Commission decision to waive ex-ante control has not been taken before the date of accession, any contracts signed between the date of accession and the date on which the Commission decision is taken shall not be eligible for pre-accession assistance. However, exceptionally, if the Commission decision to waive ex-ante control is delayed beyond the date of accession for reasons not attributable to the authorities of Bulgaria or Romania, the Commission may accept, in duly justified cases, eligibility for pre-accession assistance of contracts signed between the date of accession and the date of the Commission decision, and the continued implementation of pre-accession assistance for a limited period, subject to ex-ante control by the Commission over tendering and contracting. 2. Financial commitments made before accession under the pre-accession financial instruments referred to in paragraph 1 as well as those made under the Transition Facility referred to in Article 30 after accession, including the conclusion and registration of subsequent individual legal commitments and payments made after accession shall continue to be governed by the rules and regulations of the pre-accession financing instruments and be charged to the corresponding budget chapters until closure of the programmes and projects concerned. Notwithstanding this, public procurement procedures initiated after accession shall be carried out in accordance with the relevant Union provisions. 3. The last programming exercise for the pre-accession assistance referred to in paragraph 1 shall take place in the last year preceding accession. Actions under these programmes will have to be contracted within the following two years. No extensions shall be granted for the contracting period. Exceptionally and in duly justified cases, limited extensions in terms of duration may be granted for execution of contracts. Notwithstanding this, pre-accession funds to cover administrative costs, as defined in paragraph 4, may be committed in the first two years after accession. For audit and evaluation costs, pre-accession funds may be committed up to five years after accession. 4. In order to ensure the necessary phasing out of the pre-accession financial instruments referred to in paragraph 1 and of the ISPA programme(1), the Commission may take all appropriate measures to ensure that the necessary statutory staff is maintained in Bulgaria and Romania for a maximum of nineteen months following accession. During this period, officials, temporary staff and contract staff assigned to posts in Bulgaria and Romania before accession and who are required to remain in service in those States after the date of accession shall benefit, as an exception, from the same financial and material conditions as were applied by the Commission before accession in accordance with the Staff Regulations of officials of the European Communities and the Conditions of Employment of other servants of the European Communities laid down in Council Regulation (EEC, Euratom, ECSC) No 259/68(2). The administrative expenditure, including salaries for other staff necessary shall be covered by the heading "Phasing-out of pre-accession assistance for new Member States" or equivalent under the appropriate policy area of the general budget of the European Union dealing with enlargement. _______________ (1)Council Regulation (EC) No 1267/1999 of 21.6.1999 establishing an Instrument for Structural Policies for Pre-Accession (OJ L 161, 26.6.1999, p. 73). Regulation as last amended by Council Regulation (EC) No 769/2004 (OJ L 123, 27.4.2004, p. 1). (2)OJ L 56, 4.3.1968, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 723/2004 (OJ L 124, 27.4.2004, p. 1). ARTICLE 27 1. Measures which on the date of accession have been the subject of decisions on assistance under Regulation (EC) No 1267/1999 establishing an Instrument for Structural Policies for Pre-accession and the implementation of which has not been completed by that date shall be considered to have been approved by the Commission under Council Regulation (EC) No 1164/94 establishing a Cohesion Fund(1). Amounts which still have to be committed for the purpose of implementing such measures shall be committed under the Regulation related to the Cohesion Fund in force at the date of accession and allocated to the chapter corresponding to this Regulation under the general budget of the European Union. Unless stated otherwise in paragraphs 2 to 5, the provisions governing the implementation of measures approved pursuant to this latter Regulation shall apply to those measures. ______________________ (1) OJ L 130, 25.5.1994, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by the 2003 Act of Accession (OJ L 236, 23.9.2003, p. 33). 2. Any procurement procedure relating to a measure referred to in paragraph 1 which on the date of accession has already been the subject of an invitation to tender published in the Official Journal of the European Union, shall be implemented in accordance with the rules laid down in that invitation to tender. However, the provisions contained in Article 165 of the Financial Regulation applicable to the general budget of the European Communities shall not apply. Any procurement procedure relating to a measure referred to in paragraph 1 which, has not yet been the subject of an invitation to tender published in the Official Journal of the European Union shall be in keeping with the provisions of the Constitution, with the acts adopted pursuant thereto and with Union policies, including those concerning environmental protection, transport, trans-European networks, competition and the award of public contracts. 3. Payments made by the Commission under a measure referred to in paragraph 1 shall be posted to the earliest open commitment made in first instance pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1267/1999, and then pursuant to the Regulation related to the Cohesion Fund then in force. 4. For the measures referred to in paragraph 1, the rules governing the eligibility of expenditure pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1267/1999 shall remain applicable, except in duly justified cases to be decided on by the Commission at the request of the Member State concerned. 5. The Commission may decide, in exceptional and duly justified cases, to authorise specific exemptions from the rules applicable pursuant to the Regulation related to the Cohesion Fund in force at the date of accession for the measures referred to in paragraph 1. ARTICLE 28 Where the period for multi-annual commitments made under the SAPARD programme(1)in relation to afforestation of agricultural land, support for the establishment of producer groups or agri-environment schemes extends beyond the final permissible date for payments under SAPARD, the outstanding commitments will be covered within the 2007-2013 rural development programme. Should specific transitional measures be necessary in this regard, these shall be adopted in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 50(2) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 of 21 June 1999 laying down general provisions on the Structural Funds(2). _________________________ (1) Council Regulation (EC) No 1268/1999 of 21.6.1999 on Community support for pre-accession measures for agriculture and rural development in the applicant countries of Central and Eastern Europe in the pre-accession period (OJ L 161, 26.6.1999, p. 87). Regulation as last amended by Council Regulation (EC) No 2008/2004 (OJ L 349, 25.11.2004, p. 12). (2)OJ L 161, 26.6.1999, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by the 2003 Act of Accession (OJ L 236, 23.9.2003, p. 33). ARTICLE 29 1. Bulgaria, having closed - in line with its commitments- definitively for subsequent decommissioning Unit 1 and Unit 2 of the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant before the year 2003, commits to the definitive closure of Unit 3 and Unit 4 of this plant in 2006 and to subsequent decommissioning of these units. 2. During the period 2007-2009, the Community shall provide Bulgaria with financial assistance in support of its efforts to decommission and to address the consequences of the closure and decommissioning of Units 1 to 4 of the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant. The assistance shall, inter alia, cover: measures in support of the decommissioning of Units 1 to 4 of the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant; measures for environmental upgrading in line with the acquis, measures for the modernisation of the conventional energy production, transmission and distribution sectors in Bulgaria, measures to improve energy efficiency, to enhance the use of renewable energy sources and to improve security of energy supply. For the period 2007-2009, the assistance shall amount to EUR 210 million (2004 prices) in commitment appropriations, to be committed in equal annual tranches of EUR 70 million (2004 prices). The assistance, or parts thereof, may be made available as a Community contribution to the Kozloduy International Decommissioning Support Fund, managed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. 3. The Commission may adopt rules for implementation of the assistance referred to in paragraph 2. The rules shall be adopted in accordance with Council Decision 1999/468/EC of 28 June 1999 laying down the procedures for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission(1). To this end, the Commission shall be assisted by a committee. Articles 4 and 7 of Decision 1999/468/EC shall apply. The period laid down in Article 4(3) of Decision 1999/468/EC shall be six weeks. The committee shall adopt its rules of procedure. ARTICLE 30 1. For the first year of accession, the Union shall provide temporary financial assistance, hereinafter referred to as the "Transition Facility", to Bulgaria and Romania to develop and strengthen their administrative and judicial capacity to implement and enforce Union law and to foster exchange of best practice among peers. This assistance shall fund institution building projects and limited small-scale investments ancillary thereto. _______________________ (1) OJ L 184, 17.7.1999, p. 23. 2. Assistance shall address the continued need for strengthening institutional capacity in certain areas through action which cannot be financed by the Structural Funds or by the Rural Development Funds. 3. For twinning projects between public administrations for the purpose of institution building, the procedure for call for proposals through the network of contact points in the Member States shall continue to apply, as established in the Framework Agreements with the Member States for the purpose of pre-accession assistance. The commitment appropriations for the Transition Facility, at 2004 prices, for Bulgaria and Romania, shall be EUR 82 million in the first year after accession to address national and horizontal priorities. The appropriations shall be authorised by the budgetary authority within the limits of the financial perspective. 4. Assistance under the Transition Facility shall be decided and implemented in accordance with Council Regulation (EEC) No 3906/89 on economic aid to certain countries of Central and Eastern Europe. ARTICLE 31 1. A Cash-flow and Schengen Facility is hereby created as a temporary instrument to help Bulgaria and Romania between the date of accession and the end of 2009 to finance actions at the new external borders of the Union for the implementation of the Schengen acquis and external border control and to help improve cash-flow in national budgets. 2. For the period 2007-2009, the following amounts (2004 prices) shall be made available to Bulgaria and Romania in the form of lump-sum payments under the temporary Cash-flow and Schengen Facility: (EUR million, 2004 prices) 2007 2008 2009 Bulgaria 121,8 59,1 58,6 Romania 297,2 131,8 130,8 3. At least 50% of each country allocation under the temporary Cash-flow and Schengen Facility shall be used to support Bulgaria and Romania in their obligation to finance actions at the new external border of the Union for the implementation of the Schengen acquis and external border control. 4. One twelfth of each annual amount shall be payable to Bulgaria and Romania on the first working day of each month in the corresponding year. The lump-sum payments shall be used within three years from the first payment. Bulgaria and Romania shall submit, no later than six months after expiry of this three-year period, a comprehensive report on the final execution of the lump-sum payments under the Schengen part of the temporary Cash-flow and Schengen Facility with a statement justifying the expenditure. Any unused or unjustifiably spent funds shall be recovered by the Commission. 5. The Commission may adopt any technical provisions necessary for the operation of the temporary Cash-flow and Schengen Facility. ARTICLE 32 1. Without prejudice to future policy decisions, the overall commitment appropriations for structural actions to be made available for Bulgaria and Romania over the three-year period 2007-2009 shall be as follows: (EUR million, 2004 prices) 2007 2008 2009 Bulgaria 539 759 1 002 Romania 1 399 1 972 2 603 2. During the three years 2007-2009, the scope and nature of the interventions within these fixed country envelopes shall be determined on the basis of the provisions then applicable to structural actions expenditure. ARTICLE 33 1. In addition to the regulations concerning rural development in force on the date of accession, the provisions laid down in Sections I-III of Annex VIII shall apply to Bulgaria and Romania for the period 2007-2009 and the specific financial provisions laid down in Section IV of Annex VIII shall apply to Bulgaria and Romania throughout the programming period 2007-2013. 2. Without prejudice to future policy decisions, commitment appropriations from the EAGGF Guarantee Section for rural development for Bulgaria and Romania over the three-year period 2007-2009 shall amount to EUR 3 041 million (2004 prices). 3. Implementing rules, where necessary, for the application of the provisions of Annex VIII shall be adopted in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 50(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999. 4. The Council, acting on a proposal from the Commission, and after consulting the European Parliament, shall make any adaptations to the provisions of Annex VIII where necessary to ensure coherence with the regulations concerning rural development. ARTICLE 34 The amounts referred to in Articles 29, 30, 31, 32 and 33 shall be adjusted by the Commission each year in line with movements in prices as part of the annual technical adjustments to the financial perspective. TITLE IV OTHER PROVISIONS ARTICLE 35 1. If, until the end of a period of up to three years after accession, difficulties arise which are serious and liable to persist in any sector of the economy or which could bring about serious deterioration in the economic situation of a given area, Bulgaria or Romania may apply for authorisation to take protective measures in order to rectify the situation and adjust the sector concerned to the economy of the internal market. In the same circumstances, any present Member State may apply for authorisation to take protective measures with regard to Bulgaria, Romania, or both those States. 2. Upon request by the State concerned, the Commission shall, by emergency procedure, adopt the European regulations or decisions establishing the protective measures which it considers necessary, specifying the conditions and modalities in which they are to be put into effect. In the event of serious economic difficulties and at the express request of the Member State concerned, the Commission shall act within five working days of the receipt of the request accompanied by the relevant background information. The measures thus decided on shall be applicable forthwith, shall take account of the interest of all parties concerned and shall not entail frontier controls. 3. The measures authorised under paragraph 2 may involve derogations from the rules of the Constitution and in particular from this Protocol to such an extent and for such periods as are strictly necessary in order to attain the objectives referred to in paragraph 1. Priority shall be given to such measures as will least disturb the functioning of the internal market. ARTICLE 36 If Bulgaria or Romania has failed to implement commitments undertaken in the context of the accession negotiations, causing a serious breach of the functioning of the internal market, including any commitments in all sectoral policies which concern economic activities with cross-border effect, or an imminent risk of such breach the Commission may, until the end of a period of up to three years after accession, upon the motivated request of a Member State or on its own initiative, adopt European regulations or decisions establishing appropriate measures. Measures shall be proportional and priority shall be given to measures, which least disturb the functioning of the internal market and, where appropriate, to the application of the existing sectoral safeguard mechanisms. Such safeguard measures shall not be invoked as a means of arbitrary discrimination or a disguised restriction on trade between Member States. The safeguard clause may be invoked even before accession on the basis of the monitoring findings and the measures adopted shall enter into force as of the first day of accession unless they provide for a later date. The measures shall be maintained no longer than strictly necessary, and, in any case, shall be lifted when the relevant commitment is implemented. They may however be applied beyond the period specified in the first paragraph as long as the relevant commitments have not been fulfilled. In response to progress made by the new Member State concerned in fulfilling its commitments, the Commission may adapt the measures as appropriate. The Commission shall inform the Council in good time before revoking the European regulations and decisions establishing the safeguard measures, and it shall take duly into account any observations of the Council in this respect. ARTICLE 37 If there are serious shortcomings or any imminent risks of such shortcomings in Bulgaria or Romania in the transposition, state of implementation, or the application of the framework decisions or any other relevant commitments, instruments of cooperation and decisions relating to mutual recognition in the area of criminal law under Title VI of the EU Treaty and Directives and Regulations relating to mutual recognition in civil matters under Title IV of the EC Treaty, and European laws and framework laws adopted on the basis of Sections 3 and 4 of Chapter IV of Title III of Part III of the Constitution, the Commission may, until the end of a period of up to three years after accession, upon the motivated request of a Member State or on its own initiative and after consulting the Member States, adopt European regulations or decisions establishing appropriate measures and specify the conditions and modalities under which these measures are put into effect. These measures may take the form of temporary suspension of the application of relevant provisions and decisions in the relations between Bulgaria or Romania and any other Member State or Member States, without prejudice to the continuation of close judicial cooperation. The safeguard clause may be invoked even before accession on the basis of the monitoring findings and the measures adopted shall enter into force as of the first day of accession unless they provide for a later date. The measures shall be maintained no longer than strictly necessary, and, in any case, shall be lifted when the shortcomings are remedied. They may however be applied beyond the period specified in the first paragraph as long as these shortcomings persist. In response to progress made by the new Member State concerned in rectifying the identified shortcomings, the Commission may adapt the measures as appropriate after consulting the Member States. The Commission shall inform the Council in good time before revoking the European regulations and decisions establishing the safeguard measures, and it shall take duly into account any observations of the Council in this respect. ARTICLE 38 1. If, based on the Commission's continuous monitoring of commitments undertaken by Bulgaria and Romania in the context of the accession negotiations and in particular the Commission's monitoring reports, there is clear evidence that the state of preparations for adoption and implementation of the acquis in Bulgaria or Romania is such that there is a serious risk of either of those States being manifestly unprepared to meet the requirements of membership by the date of accession of 1 January 2007 in a number of important areas, the Council may, acting unanimously on the basis of a Commission recommendation, decide that the date of accession of that State is postponed by one year to 1 January 2008. 2. Notwithstanding paragraph 1, the Council may, acting by qualified majority on the basis of a Commission recommendation, take the decision mentioned in paragraph 1 with respect to Romania if serious shortcomings have been observed in the fulfilment by Romania of one or more of the commitments and requirements listed in Annex IX, point I. 3. Notwithstanding paragraph 1, and without prejudice to Article 36, the Council may, acting by qualified majority on the basis of a Commission recommendation and after a detailed assessment to be made in the autumn of 2005 of the progress made by Romania in the area of competition policy, take the decision mentioned in paragraph 1 with respect to Romania if serious shortcomings have been observed in the fulfilment by Romania of the obligations undertaken under the Europe Agreement or of one or more of the commitments and requirements listed in Annex IX, point II. 4. In the event of a decision taken under paragraphs 1, 2 or 3, the Council shall, acting by qualified majority decide immediately upon such adjustments as have become indispensable by reason of the postponement decision to this Protocol, including its Annexes and Appendices. ARTICLE 39 In order not to hamper the proper functioning of the internal market, the enforcement of Bulgaria's and Romania's national rules during the transitional periods referred to in Annexes VI and VII shall not lead to border controls between Member States. ARTICLE 40 If transitional measures are necessary to facilitate the transition from the existing regime in Bulgaria and Romania to that resulting from the application of the common agricultural policy under the conditions set out in this Protocol, such measures shall be adopted by the Commission in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 25(2) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1784/2003 of 29 September 2003 on the common organisation of the market in cereals(1) or, as appropriate, in the corresponding Articles of the other Regulations on the common organisation of agricultural markets or of the European laws replacing them or the relevant procedure as determined in the applicable legislation. The transitional measures referred to in this Article may be adopted during a period of three years following the date of accession and their application shall be limited to that period. A European law of the Council may extend this period. The Council shall act unanimously after consulting the European Parliament. The transitional measures relating to implementation of the instruments concerning the common agricultural policy not specified in this Protocol which are required as a result of accession shall be established prior to the date of accession by European regulations or decisions adopted by the Council on a proposal from the Commission or, where they affect instruments initially adopted by the Commission, by European regulations or decisions adopted by the Commission in accordance with the procedure required for adopting the instruments in question. ________________________ (1) OJ L 270, 21.10.2003, p. 78. ARTICLE 41 If transitional measures are necessary to facilitate the transition from the existing regime in Bulgaria and Romania to that resulting from the application of the Union veterinary, phytosanitary and food safety rules, such measures shall be adopted by the Commission in accordance with the relevant procedure as determined in the applicable legislation. These measures shall be taken during a period of three years following the date of accession and their application shall be limited to that period. PART FIVE PROVISIONS RELATING TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS PROTOCOL TITLE I SETTING UP OF THE INSTITUTIONS AND BODIES ARTICLE 42 The European Parliament shall make such adaptations to its Rules of Procedure as are rendered necessary by accession. ARTICLE 43 The Council shall make such adaptations to its Rules of Procedure as are rendered necessary by accession. ARTICLE 44 A national of each new Member State shall be appointed to the Commission as from the date of accession. The new Members of the Commission shall be appointed by the Council, by common accord with the President of the Commission, after consulting the European Parliament and in accordance with the criteria set out in Article I-26(4) of the Constitution. The terms of office of the Members thus appointed shall expire at the same time as those of the Members in office at the time of accession. ARTICLE 45 1. Two Judges shall be appointed to the Court of Justice and two Judges shall be appointed to the General Court. 2. The term of office of one of the Judges of the Court of Justice appointed in accordance with paragraph 1 shall expire on 6 October 2009. This Judge shall be chosen by lot. The term of office of the other Judge shall expire on 6 October 2012. The term of office of one of the Judges of the General Court appointed in accordance with paragraph 1 shall expire on 31 August 2007. This Judge shall be chosen by lot. The term of office of the other Judge shall expire on 31 August 2010. 3. The Court of Justice shall make such adaptations to its Rules of Procedure as are rendered necessary by accession. The General Court, in agreement with the Court of Justice, shall make such adaptations to its Rules of Procedure as are rendered necessary by accession. The Rules of Procedure as adapted shall require the consent of the Council. 4. For the purpose of judging cases pending before the Courts on the date of accession in respect of which oral proceedings have started before that date, the full Courts or the Chambers shall be composed as before accession and shall apply the Rules of Procedure in force on the day preceding the date of accession. ARTICLE 46 A national of each new Member State shall be appointed to the Court of Auditors as from the date of accession for a term of office of six years. ARTICLE 47 The Committee of the Regions shall be enlarged by the appointment of 27 members representing regional and local bodies in Bulgaria and Romania, who either hold a regional or local authority electoral mandate or are politically accountable to an elected assembly. The terms of office of the members thus appointed shall expire at the same time as those of the members in office at the time of accession. ARTICLE 48 The Economic and Social Committee shall be enlarged by the appointment of 27 members representing the various economic and social components of organised civil society in Bulgaria and Romania. The terms of office of the members thus appointed shall expire at the same time as those of the members in office at the time of accession. ARTICLE 49 Adaptations to the rules of the Committees established by the Constitution and to their rules of procedure, necessitated by the accession, shall be made as soon as possible after accession. ARTICLE 50 1. New members of the committees, groups or other bodies created by the Constitution or by an act of the institutions shall be appointed under the conditions and according to the procedures laid down for the appointment of members of these committees, groups or other bodies. The terms of office of the newly appointed members shall expire at the same time as those of the members in office at the time of accession. 2. The membership of committees or groups created by the Constitution or by an act of the institutions with a number of members fixed irrespective of the number of Member States shall be completely renewed upon accession, unless the terms of office of the present members expire within the year following accession. TITLE II APPLICABILITY OF THE ACTS OF THE INSTITUTIONS ARTICLE 51 Upon accession, Bulgaria and Romania shall be considered as being addressees of European framework laws, regulations and decisions within the meaning of Article I-33 of the Constitution, and of directives and decisions within the meaning of Article 249 of the EC Treaty and of Article 161 of the EAEC Treaty, provided that those European framework laws, regulations and decisions, and those directives and decisions have been addressed to all the present Member States. Except with regard to European decisions which enter into force pursuant to Article I-39(2) of the Constitution, and to directives and decisions which have entered into force pursuant to Article 254(1) and (2) of the EC Treaty, Bulgaria and Romania shall be considered as having received notification of such European decisions, directives and decisions upon accession. ARTICLE 52 1. Bulgaria and Romania shall put into effect the measures necessary for them to comply, from the date of accession, with the provisions of European framework laws and those European regulations which are binding as to the result to be achieved but leave the national authorities the choice of form and methods within the meaning of Article I-33 of the Constitution, and of directives and decisions within the meaning of Article 249 of the EC Treaty and of Article 161 of the EAEC Treaty, unless another time limit is provided for in this Protocol. They shall communicate those measures to the Commission at the latest by the date of accession or, where appropriate, by the time-limit provided for in this Protocol. 2. To the extent that amendments to directives within the meaning of Article 249 of the EC Treaty and of Article 161 of the EAEC Treaty introduced by this Protocol require a modification of the laws, regulations or administrative provisions of the present Member States, the present Member States shall put into effect the measures necessary to comply, from the date of accession, with the amended directives, unless another time-limit is provided for in this Protocol. They shall communicate those measures to the Commission by the date of accession or, where later, by the time limit provided for in this Protocol. ARTICLE 53 Provisions laid down by law, regulation or administrative action designed to ensure the protection of the health of workers and the general public in the territory of Bulgaria and Romania against the dangers arising from ionising radiations shall, in accordance with Article 33 of the EAEC Treaty, be communicated by those States to the Commission within three months of accession. ARTICLE 54 At the duly substantiated request submitted to the Commission by Bulgaria or Romania no later than the date of accession, the Council acting on a proposal from the Commission, or the Commission, if the original act was adopted by the Commission, may adopt European regulations or decisions establishing temporary derogations from acts of the institutions adopted between 1 October 2004 and the date of accession. The measures shall be adopted according to the voting rules governing the adoption of the act from which a temporary derogation is sought. Where these derogations are adopted after accession they may be applied as from the date of accession. ARTICLE 55 Where acts of the institutions adopted prior to accession require adaptation by reason of accession, and the necessary adaptations have not been provided for in this Protocol or its Annexes, the Council, acting on a proposal from the Commission, or the Commission, if the original act was adopted by the Commission, shall to this end adopt the necessary acts. Where these adaptations are adopted after accession they may be applied as from the date of accession. ARTICLE 56 Unless otherwise stipulated, the Council, on a proposal from the Commission, shall adopt the European regulations or decisions establishing the necessary measures to implement the provisions of this Protocol. ARTICLE 57 The texts of the acts of the institutions adopted before accession and drawn up in the Bulgarian and Romanian languages shall, from the date of accession, be authentic under the same conditions as the texts drawn up in the present official languages. They shall be published in the Official Journal of the European Union if the texts in the present languages were so published. TITLE III FINAL PROVISIONS ARTICLE 58 Annexes I to IX and the Appendices thereto shall form an integral part of this Protocol. ARTICLE 59 The Government of the Italian Republic shall remit to the Governments of the Republic of Bulgaria and Romania a certified copy of the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community, and the Treaties amending or supplementing it, in the Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Irish, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish and Swedish languages. The text of that Treaty, drawn up in the Bulgarian and Romanian languages, shall be annexed to this Protocol. Those texts shall be authentic under the same conditions as the texts of the Treaty referred to in the first paragraph, drawn up in the present languages. ARTICLE 60 A certified copy of the international agreements deposited in the archives of the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union shall be remitted to the Governments of the Republic of Bulgaria and Romania by the Secretary General. Договор за присъединяване на Република България и Румъния към Европейския съюз NEGOTIATIONS ON ACCESSION BY BULGARIA AND ROMANIA TO THE EUROPEAN UNION
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ALEKO Chalet
ALEKO Chalet Location: Maslovitsa area, in the Northeast foot on Malak Rezen Summit (2191 m.) Altitude: 1810 m. Description: Solid three-storey building with 100 places capacity; the oldest chalet in Vitosha Mountain Facilities: Water-supplied, wired, central-heated, tourist canteen, restaurant and ski-wardrobe available Bulgarian Tourist Association’s Cards: Valid Contact details: Radiotelephone, phone number 02 / 967 11 13, mobile 048 / 86 60 22 (BTA network: 289), mobile 048 / 86 62 22 (BTA network: 290), phone number of the Neighbourhood Mountain Rescue Base 02 / 967 11 55 Starting points: The upper lift station of Simeonosvki lift - neighbourhood The upper lift station Goli Vrah of Dragalevski lift – 0,15 h. Dragalevtsi Residential District, Simeonovo Residential District and Bistritsa Village – approximately 2,30 - 3,00 h. Neighborhood Objects: Mecha Polyana – 0,10 h., Cherni Vrah Shelter – 1,30 h., Tintyava Chalet – 1,30 h., Trainee Base Academic (through Mecha Polyana) – 2,00 h. Point of European Routs: E-4 Host Association: Tourist Association Kremikovtsi, 1870 Sofia, Botunets Residential Quarter, bl. 27, ground floor, phone 02 / 935-32-67 ALEKO Chalet
BOERITSA Chalet
BOERITSA Chalet Location: Boeritsa area, at the foot of Chernata Skala Summit Altitude: 1700 m. Description: Solid two-storey building with mansard and 40 places capacity Facilities: Water-supplied, wired, tourist kitchen and canteen available Contact details: Mobile 048 / 85 55 31 Starting points: Zlatnite Mostove area – 1 h. Vladaya Village (Rail-way Station Sofia – Kulata (Gyueshevo)) – 2,30 h. Knyajevo Residential District – 3,00 h. Neighborhood Objects: Planinarska Pesen Chalet and Borova Gora Chalet – 0,03-0,04 h., Kumata Chalet – 0,15 h., Chernata Skala Summit (1869 m.) – 0,30 h., Septemvri Chalet – 0,40 h., Tintyava Chalet – 1,00 h., Momina Skala Chalet - 1,15 h., Cherni Vrah Shelter – 1,45-2,00 h. Host Association: Bulgarian Boy-scout Association BOERITSA Chalet
BOROVA GORA Chalet
BOROVA GORA Chalet Location: Boeritsa area Altitude: 1695 m. Description: Solid two-storey building with 24 places capacity (former forest association house) Facilities: Water-supplied, wired, heated by electric stoves Contact details: Through Planinarska Pesen Chalet Starting points: Zlatnite Mostove area – 1,00 h. Vladaya Village (Rail-way Station Sofia – Kulata (Gyueshevo)) – 2,30 h. Knyajevo Residential District – 3,00 h. Neighborhood Objects: Planinarska Pesen Chalet and Boeritsa Chalet – 0,03-0,04 h., Kumata Chalet – 0,15 h., Chernata Skala Summit (1869 m.) – 0,30 h., Septemvri Chalet – 0,40 h., Tintyava Chalet – 1,00 h., Momina Skala Chalet – 1,15 h., Cherni Vrah Shelter – 1,45-2,00 h. Host Association: Tourist Chorus Association in Bulgaria, 1000 Sofia, 18, Serdika St., tel.: 02 / 986-78-53 BOROVA GORA Chalet
EDELVAIS Chalet
EDELVAIS Chalet Location: Machovoto area Altitude: 1675 m. Description: Solid two-storey building with 15 places capacity. Once there was another building, but it burnt out ten years ago Facilities: Water-supplied, wired, heated by firewood stoves, there is also small shop available (offering hot soups, tea, coffee) Bulgarian Tourist Association’s Cards: Not valid Contact details: Radiotelephone, GSM: 0888 / 51 23 81 Starting points: Zlatnite Mostove area – 1,00 h. Vladaya Village (Rail-way Station Sofia – Kulata (Gyueshevo)) – 2,30 h. Knyajevo Residential District – 3,00 h. Neighborhood Objects: Zvezditsa Resting House possessed by BGA Balkan – 0,10 h., Konyarnka Shelter – 0,30 h., Ostritsa Chalet – 0,30 h., Kumata Chalet – 0,45 h., Selimitsa Chalet – 1,15 h., Cherni Vrah Shelter – 1,45-2,00 h. Host Association: Tourist Association Edelvais, 1202 Sofia, 72, Gurko St., Leonardus Firm, tel.: 02 / 981-26-70, 980-14-96 EDELVAIS Chalet
ESPERANTO Chalet
ESPERANTO Chalet Location: Karanova Livada area Altitude: 1410 m. Description: Small two-storey building with 18 places capacity Facilities: Water-supplied, wired, small shop available Contact details: Starting points: Boyana Residential District – 2,00 h. Neighborhood Objects: Kamen Del Chalet– 0,15 h., Momina Skala Chalet – 0,20 h., Boyana Waterfall (15 m. height) – 0,30 h. Host Association: Zeleni Patruli ESPERANTO Chalet
KAMEN DEL Chalet
KAMEN DEL Chalet Location: Pojara area Altitude: 1496 m. Description: Solid two-storey building with 35 places capacity Facilities: Water-supplied, wired, heated by electric stoves, tourist canteen and small shop (offering hot soups, tea, coffee) available Contact details: Radiotelephone Starting points: Lift station Bai Krastyo – 1,20 h. Boyana Residential District – 2,00 h. Neighborhood Objects: Esperanto Chalet – 0,15 h., Sredets Resting House – 0,15 h., Kikish Shelter – 0,20 h. Host Association: Tourist Association Vitosha, 1618 Sofia, 18, Doiran St., tel.: 02 / 55 40 59 KAMEN DEL Chalet
KUMATA Chalet
KUMATA Chalet Old names: Zlatni Mostove, Vitosha, Lyubcho Tomov, Malchika Location: South part of Boeritsa area Altitude: 1725 m. Description: Solid two-storey building with 34 places capacity Facilities: Water-supplied, wired, heated by electric stoves, tourist canteen and small shop (offering hot soups, tea and coffee) available Contact details: Radiotelephone, mobile 048 / 94 57 64 Starting points: Zlatnite Mostove area – 0,40 h. Vladaya Village (Rail-way Station Sofia – Kulata (Gyueshevo)) – 2,00 h. Knyajevo Residential District – 2,30 h. Neighborhood Objects: Alpine chapel St. Ivan Rilski Chudotvorets – 0,02-0,03 h., Konyarnika Shelter – 0,15 h., Borova Gora Chalet, Planinska Pesen Chalel and Boeritsa Chalet – 0,15 h., Edelvais Chalet – 0,45 h., Cherni Vrah Shelter – 1,30-1,45 h. Point of European Rout: E-4 Host Association: Tourist Association Cherni Vrah, 1330 Sofia, Krasna Polyana Residential District, 1, Rishki Prohod St., tel.: 02 / 20-23-60 KUMATA Chalet
MOMINA SKALA Chalet
MOMINA SKALA Chalet Location: Stambolova Livada area, on the left bank of the Vladaiska River Altitude: 1485 m. Description: Solid two-storey building with 35 places capacity Facilities: Water-supplied, wired, heated by electric stoves, tourist canteen and small shop (offering hot soups, tea and coffee) available Contact details: Radiotelephone, tel.: 02 / 957 12 25 Starting points: Zlatnite Mostove area – 0,30 h. Knyajevo Residential District – 2,00 h. Boyana Residential District – 2,15 h. Neighborhood Objects: Sredets Resting House, Rodina Resting House – 0,20 h., Septemvri Chalet – 0,20 h., Esperanto Chalet – 0,20 h., Tintyava Chalet – 0,25 h., Bor Resting House – 0,30 h., Planinets Chalet – 0,30 h., Boyanski Waterfall (15 m. height) – 0,40 h. Host Association: Tourist Association Momina Skala, 1619 Sofia, 3, Zvezdica St., tel.: 02 / 857-03-61, mobile 048 / 88 16 97 (BTA network: 347) MOMINA SKALA Chalet
OSTRITSA Chalet
OSTRITSA Chalet Location: Northeast foot of Ostritsa Summit, on the place of the burnt down Brox Chalet Altitude: 1636 m. Description: Solid two-storey building with 32 places capacity Facilities: Water-supplied, wired, tourist canteen and small shop (offering hot soups, tea and coffee) available Contact details: Mobile 048 / 80 68 81 Starting points: Zlatnite Mostove area – 1,00 h. Kladnitsa Village – 1,45 h. Knyajevo Residential District – 3,00 h. Neighborhood Objects: Rudnichar Resting House – 0,05 h., Ostritsa Summit (1696 m.) – 0,10 h., Edelvais Chalet – 0,30 h., Selimitsa Chalet – 0,45 h. Host Association: Rectifier Factory, town of Pernik OSTRITSA Chalet
PLANINARSKA PESEN Chalet
PLANINARSKA PESEN Chalet Location: Boeritsa area Altitude: 1690 m. Description: Solid three-storey building in alpine style with 28 places capacity. There is an amphitheatre in front of the chalet where Planinarska Pesen Chorus performs concerts Facilities: Water-supplied, wired, heated by electric stoves, small shop offering hot soups, tea and coffee available Contact details: Radiotelephone, tel.: 02 / 57 48 58 Starting points: Zlatnite Mostove area – 1,00 h. Vladaya Village (Rail-way Station Sofia – Kulata (Gyueshevo)) – 2,30 h. Knyajevo Residential District – 3,00 h. Neighborhood Objects: Borova Gora and Boeritsa Chalet – 0,03-0,04 h., Kumata Chalet – 0,15 h., Septemvri Chalet – 0,40 h., Tintyava Chalet – 1,00 h., Momina Skala Chalet – 1,15 h. Host Association: Tourist Chorus Association in Bulgaria, 1000 Sofia, 18, Serdika St., tel.: 02 / 986-78-53 PLANINARSKA PESEN Chalet
PLANINETS Chalet
PLANINETS Chalet Location: Svrachara area Altitude: 1355 m. Description: Solid three-storey building with 52 places capacity Facilities: Water-supplied, wired, central heated, tourist canteen and small shop (offering hot soups, tea and coffee) available Contact details: Radiotelephone, tel.: 02 / 57 31 39 Starting points: Zlatnite Mostove area – 0,40 h. Knyajevo Residential District (through Malkoto Kopito area) – 2,00 h. Vladaya Village (Rail-way Station Sofia – Kulata (Gyueshevo)) – 2,15 h. Neighborhood Objects: Septemvri Chalet – 0,30 h., Momina Skala Chalet – 0,30 h., Belite Brezi Resting House – 0,30 h., Dendrariuma area – 0,30 h. Host Association: Tourist Association Urvich, 1200 Sofia, 4 A, Klokotnitsa St., tel.: 02 / 931 61 02 PLANINETS Chalet
SELIMITSA Chalet
SELIMITSA (SMILITSA) Chalet Location: Lenishtata area Altitude: 1305 m. Description: Solid two-storey building with attic with 20 places capacity Facilities: Water-supplied, wired, heated by electric and firewood stoves, tourist canteen and restaurant Contact details: Radiotelephone, GSM: 0898 / 58 08 09 Starting points: Kladnitsa Village – 1,00 h. Zlatnite Mostove area – 1,45 h. Knyajevo Residential District – 3,45 h. Neighborhood Objects: Kladnishki Monastry St. Nikola – 0,15 h., Ostritsa Chalet – 0,45 h., Edelvais Chalet – 1,15 h., Diviyat Bik Shelter – 1,30 h., Chuipetlovo Village – 3,00 h. Host Association: Tourist Association Krakra Pernishki, 2300 Pernik, 1, Fizkulturna St., tel.: 076 / 2 34 50 SELIMITSA (SMILITSA) Chalet
SEPTEMVRI Chalet
SEPTEMVRI Chalet Location: Mandrata area Altitude: 1485 m. Description: Solid two-storey building with 30 places capacity Facilities: Water-supplied, wired, central heated, tourist canteen and small shop (offering hot soups, tea and coffee) available Contact details: tel.: 02 / 57 03 56 Starting points: Zlatnite Mostove area – 0,30 h. Vladaya Village (Rail-way Station Sofia – Kulata (Gyueshevo)) – 2,00 h. Knyajevo Residential District – 2,30 h. Neighborhood Objects: Momina Skala Chalet – 0,20 h., Planinets Chalet – 0,30 h., Bor Resting House – 0,30 h., Planinarska Pesen Chalet – 0,45 h. Host Association: Tourist Association Ivan Vazov, 1000 Sofia, 99, G.S.Rakovski St., (CKC), tel.: 02 / 926 19 28 SEPTEMVRI Chalet
TINTYAVA Chalet
TINTYAVA Chalet Location: Tintyava area Altitude: 1616 m. Description: Solid three-storey building with 78 places capacity Facilities: Water-supplied, wired, central heated, tourist canteen and small shop (offering hot soups, tea and coffee) available Contact details: tel.: 02 / 57-03-56, 955-54-52, GSM: 0888 / 60-45-90 Starting points: Zlatnite Mostove area – 1,00 h. Vladaya Village (Rail-way Station Sofia – Kulata (Gyueshevo)) – 2,30 h. Knyajevo Residential District – 2,30 h. Boyana Residential District – 3,00 h. Neighborhood Objects: Sredets Resting House – 0,10 h., Momina Skala Chalet – 0,15 h., Kamen Del Chalet – 0,30 h., Aleko Chalet – 1,45 h., Cherni Vrah Shelter – 2,30 h. Host Association: Managing Committee of BTA, 1000 Sofia, 75, Vasil Levski Blvd., fl. 5, tel.: 02 / 987-34-09, 930-06-74, mobile 048 / 89 34 23 (BTA network: 270), TINTYAVA Chalet
DIVIYAT BIK Shelter
DIVIYAT BIK Shelter Location: On the right bank of the Matnitsa River, in South Vitosha Altitude: approximately 1300 m. Description: One-storey timber building Facilities: Stove, wooden table and benches outside, drinking water Contact details: Starting points: Kladnitsa Village – 1,30 h. Chuipetlovo Village – 1,45 h. Neighborhood Objects: Dain Kladenets area – 0,30 h., Mecha Cehshma area– 1,00 h., Krasta Summit (1561 m.) – 1,10 h., Selimitsa Chalet – 1,30 h. Host Association: Self-service DIVIYAT BIK Shelter
KIKISH Shelter
KIKISH ShelterLocation: Kikish area, at the North foot of Kamen Del Summit (1862 m.) Altitude: 1410 m. Description: Solid one-storey building, without any living conditions, working only during the weekends Facilities: Tourist canteen, water is outside the building, small shop, offering hot soups, tea and coffee Contact details: Starting points: Lift station Bai Krastyo – 1,00 h. Dragalevtsi Residential District – 1,45 h. Boyana Residential District – 2,30 h. Neighborhood Objects: Kikish Summit (one of the most panoramic Vitosha’s peaks, 1430 m.) – 0,10 h., Kamen Del Chalet – 0,20 h., Sredets Resting House – 0,30 h., Boyana Waterfall (15 m. height) – 1,00 h., Platoto area – 1,15 h. Host Association: Tourist Association Vitosha, 1618 Sofia, 18, Doiran St., tel.: 02 / 55 40 59 KIKISH Shelter
KONYARNIKA Shelter
KONYARNIKA Shelter Location: Konyarnika area, on the right side of the path for Kumata Chalet – Cherni Vrah Summit Altitude: approximately 1800 m. Description: Complex from 2 buildings: stone shelter (with one room) and deserted shed of Mountain Rescue Association (with three rooms) Facilities: A fountain in front of the shelter Contact details: Starting points: Kumata Chalet – 0,15 h. Neighborhood Objects: Edelvais Chalet – 0,30 h., Cherni Vrah Shelter – 1,15 h. Point of European Rout: E-4 Host Association: Department Nature Park Vitosha and Mountain Rescue Association KONYARNIKA Shelter
SAMARA SEDLOTO Shelter
SAMARA (SEDLOTO) Shelter Location: At the foot of Samara (Sedloto) Summit (2108 m.), near pillar No 74 from the winter marking Kumata Chalet – Cherni Vrah Summit Altitude: 2100 m. Description: Solid one-storey stone building, consisting of entrance, middle and inner rooms. It serves as a base in climbing Cherni Vrah Summit in bad weather (the wind speed in this part of Vitosha reaches 100 km/h and the temperature under –20 oC). No living conditions Facilities: The shelter is devastated by vandals and the alarm system for connection with the Mountain Rescue Base on Cherni Vrah Summit is stolen Contact details: Starting points: Konyarnika Shelter – 0,45-1,00 h. Neighborhood Objects: Cherni Vrah Shelter – 0,30 h. Point of European Routs: E-4 Host Association: Mountain Rescue Association SAMARA (SEDLOTO) Shelter
USHITE Shelter
USHITE Shelter Location: At the foot of Ushite Summit near pillar No 109 from the winter marking Aleko Chalet – Tintyava Chalet Altitude: 1840 m. Description: Solid one-storey stone building, consisting of entrance and a room Facilities: The shelter, used before by Mountain Rescue Association, now is devastated, but when necessary it can be used Contact details: Starting points: Tintyava Chalet – 0,45 h. Aleko Chalet – 1,00 h. Neighborhood Objects: Ushite Summit (1906 m.) – 0,15 h., Kamen Del Summit (1862 m.) – 0,15 h. Host Association: Mountain Rescue Association USHITE Shelter
CHERNI VRAH Shelter
CHERNI VRAH Shelter Location: In the building of the Meteorological Station on Cherni Vrah Summit Altitude: 2290 m. Description: One room with two entrances, as well as kitchen Facilities: Not water-supplied, but you can ask for drinking water in the kitchen. The nearest spring is situated in Southeast direction from the peak in the area of the Struma River. The shelter is wired, heated by electric and firewood stoves, tourist canteen and small shop (offering hot soups, tea and coffee) available Contact details: Radiotelephone, tel.: 02 / 967 11 60, phone card Betkom: 048 / 92 93 00, Mountain Rescue Association phone number 02 / 967 11 28 Starting points: (clockwise direction and from the foot upwards) Knyajevo Residential District (15,300 km.) – 4,15-4,30 h. Zlatnite Mostove area (7,900 km.) – 2,15-2,30 h. Kumata Chalet (5,600 km.) – 1,30-1,45 h. Konyarnika Shelter (4,600 km.) – 1,15-1,30 h. Kopitoto Summit (11,200 km.) – 4,00 h. Bor Resting House (7,200 km.) – 2,30 h. Tintyava Chalet (7,200 km.) – 2,30 h. Dragalevtsi Residential District (10,200 km.) – 3,30 h. Bai Krastyo area (7,100 km.) – 2,30 h. Goli Vrah Lift Station (3,500 km.) – 1,30 km. Simeonovo Residential District (11,800 km.) – 4,00 h. Aleko Chalet (through Stenata area) (3,200 km.) – 1,30 h. Upper lift station of Romanskiya lift (1,300 km.) – 0,30 h. Bistritsa Village (through the Yanchevska River Valley and through Stenata area) (9,300 km.) – 3,30 h. Jeleznitsa Village (9,100 km.) – 3,30 h. School base Academic (4,100 km.) – 1,00 h. Yarema area – 5,00 h. Yarlovo Village – 5,30 h. Chuipetlovo Village – 4,00 h. Kladnitsa Village – 4,00 h. Vladaya (12,400 km.) (Rail-way Station Sofia-Kulata (Gyueshevo)) – 4,00 h. Neighborhood Objects: The Sruma River spring – 0,05 h., Malak Rezen Summit (2191 m.) – 0,30 h., Golyam Rezen Summit (2277 m.) – 0,30 h., Skoparnika Summit (2226 m.), Kupena Summit (2195 m.), Yarkovski Kupen Summit (2173 m.) Point of European Routs: E-4 Host Association: Tourist Association Vitosha, 1618 Sofia, 18, Doiran St., tel.: 02 / 55 40 59 CHERNI VRAH Shelter
YUBILEINA Tourist House
YUBILEINA Tourist House – Sofia Location: In the capital quarter Krasna Polyana, 1, Rishki Prohod St. Altitude: approximately 600 m. Description: Two-storey panel building with 150 places capacity Facilities: Water-supplied, wired, central heated Contact details: Tel.: 02 / 920 04 49 Starting points: From Central Rail-way Station with bus No 77, you have to get down on Station Dobrotich, from where the Tourist House is situated on 5 min. walk. On the same station also the bus No 83, trams No 4 and 11 are available Neighborhood Objects: The Tourist House is excellent starting point to go sightseeing the cultural and historical places on the capital, as well as for daily or longer trips is the Sofia’s neighbour mountains (Vitosha, Lyulin, Plana, Lozenska Planina) Host Association: Tourist Association Cherni Vrah, 1330 Sofia, Krasna Polyana Residential District, 1, Rishki Prohod St., tel.: 02 / 20-23-60 YUBILEINA Tourist House
Bulgaria Statistics
Statistics about Bulgaria Total Population: 7,973,673 (data from a representative study of the National Institute of Statistics as of March 1, 2001) Largest city populations: Sofia 1,096,389 Plovdiv 340,638 Varna 314,539 Bourgas 193,316 Rousse 162,128 Stara Zagora 143,989 Location of population as average across age groups (2001) Urban: 69% Rural: 31% Net population growth: minus 5.1% (2001) Birth Rate: 8.07 births/1,000 population Death Rate: 13.8 deaths/1,000 population Migration Rate: 4.8 migrants/1,000 population Infant mortality rate: 15.13 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.) Total fertility rate: 1.13 children born/woman (2000 est.) Age breakdown: (2001 est.) 0-10 years: 8.8% 10-19 years: 13% 20-29 years: 14.4% 40-49 years: 14.1% 50-59 years: 13.9% 60 years and over: 25.5% Sex breakdown: (2001 est.) Male: 48.8% Female: 51.2% Life expectancy at birth: (2000 est.) Total population: 70.91 years male: 67.45 years female: 74.56 years Ethnic groupings (2001 est.) Bulgarian 83.6% Turkish 9.5% Roma 4.6% Other 1.5% Religious groupings Orthodox Christian 83.8% Muslim 12.1% Also Roman Catholic, Jewish, Gregorian-Armenian, Protestant, Lutheran, other Catholic Official language: Bulgarian Also spoken: Turkish, Romani, Armenian, Hebrew, etc. - roughly corresponds to ethnic breakdowns Literacy: (percentage of age 15 and over that can read and write - 1999) total population: 98% male: 99% female: 98% Public holidays: January 1: New Year March 3: National Day April or May (variable): Orthodox Easter Monday May 1: Labour Day May 6: Bulgarian Army Day May 24: Day of Bulgarian Literature & Cyrillic Writing (for Saints Cyril and Methodius) September 6: Day of Unification of Bulgaria and Eastern Roumelia September 22: Independence Day (from Ottoman Turkish Empire) November 1: Day of Leaders of the Bulgarian National Revival December 24-26: Christmas
Politics political and economic environment
Politics, political and economic environment Bulgaria’s current Government was formed after the National Movement Simeon II (NMSII), a new player in Bulgarian politics, headed by former king Simeon Saxe-Coburg, won a sweeping victory in the June 2001 parliamentary elections. The Cabinet consists of Prime Minister Saxe-Coburg and 20 ministers. Most are from the NMSII, with the exception of Minister of State Administration Dimitar Kalchev from the Bulgarian Socialist Party, and Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Mehmed Dikme and Minister Without Portfolio Filiz Hyusmenova, from the ethnic Turkish-based Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF). The Government is strongly pro-Western, with particularly good relations with the United States, and in April 2004 led Bulgaria into the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. Bulgaria’s leading policy priority is to join the European Union, which it is scheduled to do in January 2007. On the domestic front, the popularity of the Government as a whole and Saxe-Coburg as an individual generally have been in decline, mainly because of perceptions that the Prime Minister reneged on his promise when newly in office that he would improve the lives of Bulgarians within 800 days. Apart from the consistent trend across opinion polls, a more concrete indicator of the decline in support for the NMSII was its poor showing in the municipal elections in 2003. While it has survived various motions in Parliament of no confidence in the Government, the NMSII-led coalition no longer has a decisive command of a majority in the House, because of a series of defections and splits from the NMSII. The Government is flanked on left and right by rival parties, none without their own problems. The Bulgarian Socialist Party generally leads in the polls, with a reported up to 25 per cent share of support. Its liabilities include the unresolved question of the “Barrelgate” controversy, arising from allegations that the BSP received donations of fuel from the regime of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, while the BSP’s other drawback is that some voters will decline to support it because it is the lineal successor to the Bulgarian Communist Party. The centre-right and right-wing parties have been involved for months in bitter in-fighting, and currently are fractured into a range of parties of varying size and significance. The differences among them appear based more on individual personalities rather than ideological or policy differences. In early 2005, some progress was being made in negotiations among some of the parties about possible pre-election co-operation and various scenarios for attempting to form a post-election coalition. All that is predictable about the parliamentary elections scheduled for summer 2005 is that no single party will emerge with a sufficient share of the votes to form a government on its own. Some analysts have suggested that a possible governing coalition could be based on a BSP-NMSII-MRF agreement, while others believe that it may be possible for the centre-right parties to rally sufficient numbers to oust the NMSII from government and at the same time bar the BSP from power. Whatever the outcome of the election, significant changes in foreign policy are not expected, and the only likely changes are in some aspects of social policy, with Bulgaria likely to continue in its general policy direction of commitment to preserve macro-economic stability.
Geography of Bulgaria
Geography of Bulgaria Relative Location: South-eastern European Balkan Peninsula, between the Black Sea (to the east), Turkey to south-east), Greece (south), Romania (north), Serbia and Macedonia (FYROM) to the west - a strategic location near Turkish Straits which allows for control of major land and water routes from Europe and Russia to the Middle East and Asia Absolute location (average coordinates): 43 degrees north, 25 degrees east Area: Total: 110,910 sq km Land: 110,550 sq km Water: 360 sq km Total Land borders: 1,808 km Land borders with: Turkey: 240 km Greece: 494 km The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia: 148 km Yugoslavia: 318 km (all with Serbia) Romania: 608 km Coastline: 354 km Maritime claims: Contiguous zone: 24 nm Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm Territorial sea: 12 nm Climate: Mixed: mostly temperate in the north and Mediterranean-influenced in the south Four distinct seasons; cold, damp winters and hot, dry summers Terrain: mostly mountains, with lowlands in north Danubian Plain and in south-east Elevation extremes: Lowest point: Black Sea - 0 m Highest point: Musala Peak - 2,925 m (also the highest point on Balkan Peninsula) Key Natural resources: Iron ore, manganese ore, chromium, copper ore, zinc, bauxite, lead, coal, timber, arable land Fuel reserves: Gas and oil Land use: (1999 est.) Arable land: 43% Permanent crops: 2% Permanent pastures: 14% Forests and woodland: 38% Other: 3% Irrigated land: 12,370 sq km (1993 est.) Natural hazards: earthquakes, landslides
Bulgarian History
Bulgarian History Transition Following the rest of Eastern Europe and the crumbling Soviet union, Bulgaria's political and environmental dissident groups gained louder and stronger voices towards the end of the 1980's, eliciting more moral support from the West. Massive anti-government demonstrations in 1989 forced the dismissal of Zhivkov from the BCP on November 10, the day after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Zhivkov was the first ex-Communist leader to be officially tried and convicted on charges of corruption and inciting ethnic unrest, and although sentenced to seven years in prison, he managed to arrange an early release and lived in luxury until his death in the late 1990's. Under the new leadership of Petar Mladenov, the Communist Party changed their name to the Socialist Party (BSP) and Mladenov's close ally Andrei Lukanov became Prime Minister. Mladenov promised the first free, multi-party elections since The Second World War, and in the months leading up to the June 1990 vote, several opposition groups quickly put together political parties. These included a loose coalition of dissident groups under the name United Democratic Forces (UDF), and also the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS), whose interests were in the protection of Bulgaria's Muslim minority. Mostly due to the traditionally conservative votes of rural and older people uncertain about change, the BSP won the election with 45 per cent of the vote. The UDF won a large portion of the remaining votes, and the DPS also received solid support. Later that same year, however, President Mladenov was forced to resign amid evidence that he had consented to the use of violence against protesters. The BSP dominated Parliament went against tradition and elected Zhelyu Zhelov, from the UDF, as the new President in August 1990. Tough BSP reform measures during the very difficult economic times, as well as UDF supporter discontent over election results, caused more mass demonstrations and strikes, forcing the BSP Prime Minister Lukanov to resign. An interim coalition government was formed with independent lawyer Dimiter Popov as leader. The next year saw the beginning of many reforms which were needed to help speed up the transition, such as restitution - or the redistribution of land and holdings taken from private owners by the Communists and the slow process of privatising state holdings and releasing many price and salary controls. In July 1991, the National Assembly approved the New Constitution, which is still in effect, and in October of the same year, Filip Dimitrov formed Bulgaria's first completely non-communist government. Although Zhelev was re-elected in January 1992, the UDF was narrowly defeated in parliamentary elections later that year. The ethnic Turks enjoyed a newfound power in the Assembly, as they held the handful of votes which could swing decisions towards either the UDF or the BSP, who had roughly equal representation. More economic woes and increased social dissatisfaction spurred those displeased with changes to vote the BSP into power again in 1994, with Zhan Videnov as leader. His government was also plagued by scandal and allegations of corruption. With a growing economic crisis in 1996-97, the Socialists were forced to resign after massive public demonstrations that winter. For events after 1996-97, please see the political environment page
Bulgaria Visas
Bulgaria Visas and staying on Entry Visas If you are from an EU member state, the UK, Canada, USA or Israel you do not need a visa to enter the country. Those from EU countries may stay in the country for up to 90 days in a six-month period, counting from the first date of entry. For citizens of the US, Canada, the UK and Israel this period is up to 30 days within a six-month period, counting from the first date of entry. It doesn’t matter whether you leave and re-enter the country within that period, as the total number of days is what matters. Travellers who are not citizens of the US or the countries listed above should obtain an entry visa in advance from the Bulgarian Embassy or Consulate in their country. For this they will need to provide a letter of invitation from a Bulgarian host, on a standard form, provided by the municipality, or a business partner, as well as a letter from their company or institution if they are travelling on business. Applicants for visas should note that incomplete forms, absence of photographs or inadequate payment usually result in the return of the application to the applicant without further action, and that turnover in the embassies is quite slow. Staying On For those wishing to stay longer than the permitted period the situation is difficult, even if their reasons for being here are quite genuine (such as owning a house!). In order to obtain a residence permit (1 or 5 years) one should either own a company which employs at least 10 Bulgarian staff and/or invest at least $500,000 in the country. Oh yes, and to get a 5 year residence permit you will soon have to sit a test in Bulgarian language proficiency! You can get more information by visiting the Passport Office for Foreigners at 48 Maria Luiza Blvd. in Sofia, where the treatment is less than friendly and the waiting long, but these are really the only people who can give you a straight story. Transit Visas Transit visas allow a stay in Bulgaria of 24 hours or less. Airline tickets and evidence of right of entry into the next country of travel will be required. Possession of airline tickets does not guarantee the granting of an entry visa. Medical Insurance Although citizens of the countries listed above do not require visas for stays of up to a certain period, depending on their countries, they should be able, on request, to show evidence of medical insurance valid for Bulgaria. The travel/medical insurance should be for at least $5000 and should cover emergency medical expenses, repatriation, transport of mortal remains, funeral and hospitalisation. If the visitor has insurance of this type, a copy of the policy, with legible policy number, company name, duration of validity and sum of coverage or a letter from the insurance company including these data, should be submitted with the visa application. If the traveller does not have such insurance, a visa application can be made without it, but the insurance must be obtained after the consulate has informed the applicant that the visa is approved. The visa will be issued only after proof of insurance is submitted. Bulgaria Visa
Useful Tips For Bulgaria
Useful Tips For Bulgaria Body Language When Bulgarians nod their heads up and down, they mean NO. When they move their heads from side to side, they mean YES. Wedding bands on worn on the right hand, not the left as in the West. Celebrations Name Days are celebrated in addition to birthdays. A Name Day is celebrated by people whose name is derived from that of a Saint’s Day being celebrated. The person having a Name Day usually brings chocolates to the office for colleagues to share. Bulgarian tradition is that one may call uninvited on a person celebrating a Name Day, to wish them well. Central Heating The temperature in buildings is controlled centrally by the city. They decide when to turn it on, usually around November, and switch it off, usually around March. Corruption This continues to be a problem, so beware, even of the police. Always carry the number of your embassy/consulate and lawyer, just in case. Money The Bulgarian currency is the lev (plural leva) and is divided into 100 stotinki. Banknotes are in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 leva notes as well as coins of 1 lev (it is soon expected to completely obliterate the paper 1 lev) and 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 stotinki. The lev has been fairly stable for the past six years. Money Exchange People still get ripped off at Bureaux de Change despite all the regulations that are in place. As they are not allowed to charge a commission they often use an unfavourable rate. Our advice is to change your money at a bank, where rates are quite favourable and commissions are not charged. Movies Most large cinemas show films with their original soundtracks and subtitle them. The same applies to rented videocassettes. However, films for children are usually dubbed. Check The Sofia Echo for weekly cinema listings. Police Registration Make sure that you obey the law regarding the registration of foreigners, because it is being applied with increasing eagerness. Failing to register within 48 hours of arrival can mean heavy fines and other hassles. Shopping Large supermarkets such as Billa, Metro and Hit offer a wide range of local and imported products. In smaller shops, the standard and friendliness of service tends to vary. Customer service is a concept with which shop assistants are still getting acquainted, with varying degrees of success. When paying for something in a restaurant or shop, do not expect to always get the correct change. It is common practice to “round up” the sum, and not in your benefit. Credit cards are used more and more frequently in the higher end shops but you may still be surprised by the need for cash. You can withdraw cash using local or international credit and debit cards from the many ATMs around town. Smoking Bulgaria has one of the highest smoking levels in Europe and until the beginning of 2005 there was no legal protection for non-smokers. Now new regulations for smoking in public and in offices have been introduced and you should now find all restaurants, bars and cafes have a properly ventilated No Smoking section with at least 40% of the seats. It may take some time before everyone begins to observe this though. Taxis Choose a reputable company, like OK Supertrans (tel: 9732121) with new cars and fixed rates. Taxis can be taken from a taxi rank, though often they may refuse to take you if they don’t feel like going in that direction or the journey is short! The other option is to stop one in motion. Ensure the driver turns on the meter at the start of the journey, and keep a careful eye out about whether it seems to be running unusually fast. You should ask for a receipt and if you have any complaints write down the driver’s details from the obligatory pass with their name and number and report to the company later, rather than tackling them directly as this could be dangerous. Tipping It is of course optional but generally standard practice in restaurants, cafes, bars, hairdressers, even taxis. About 10 per cent to 15 per cent is customary. Making a toast when drinking liquor is de rigeur. When toasting, raise your glass and lightly clink it with all the others present, while looking the people with you in the eye (to not look them in the eye is rude) and saying, “Na zdrave” (good health to you). If there are 10 people at the table, you do this with all 10. Toilets Toilet facilities are much improved compared to 10 years ago, but can be off-putting, particularly in older establishments and outside the larger cities. Most modern fuel stations, restaurants, hotels and bars have facilities of an acceptable standard. But elsewhere you may be confronted by nothing more than a hole in the floor, and no toilet paper. Always carry Kleenex with you. Places often charge for the use of toilet facilities, currently usually in the 20 to 50 stotinki range.
Winter Sports
Winter Sports BANSKO Mountain rescue base Bansko Tel: (07443) 8132; 048 1842 Lifts working hours: Gondola lift: Mon-Sun: 8.15am to 4.30pm Chair lifts: Mon-Sun: 8.30am to 4.15pm Drag lifts: Mon-Sun: 8.30am to 4.15pm PAMPOROVO Mountain rescue base Studenets Tel: (03021) 8336 Lifts working hours: Smolyan Lakes Lift: Mon-Sun: 8.30am - 4.30pm Ardashlu-Snejanka Lift: Mon-Sun: 8.30am - 4.30pm Ski drags: Mon-Sun: 8.30am - 4.30pm BOROVETS Mountain rescue base Borovets Tel: (07128) 2450; 048 1841 Lifts working hours: 1. Gondola Lift Every day from 8.45am to 4.50pm. Last ride from upper station - 4.30pm. Technical check-up: Every Monday - 8am to 1pm Every last Monday of the month - all day. 2. Markoudjik Drags Every day from 9am to 4pm. Technical check-up: Every Monday - 8am to 4pm. Every last Monday of the month - all day. 3. Four-Seat Chair Lift Martinovi baraki Every day from 8.30am to 9pm Last ride from lower station - 8.40pm. Technical check-up: Every Tuesday 8am to 1pm. Every last Tuesday of the month - all day. 4. Martinovi Baraki 2 Drag Every day from 8.30am to 8.40pm 5. Martinovi Baraki 3 Drag Every day from 8.30am to 4.40pm. 6. Four chair express lift Yastrebets Every day from 8.45am to 4.50pm. Last ride from upper station - 4.30pm. Technical check-up: Every Thursday - 8am to 1pm Every last Thursday of the month - all day. 7. Four chair express lift Sitnyakovo Every day from 8.30am to 4.50pm. Last ride from upper station - 4.30pm. Technical check-up: Every Wednesday- 8am to 1pm. Every last Wednesday of the month - all day. 8. Stationary Drags and Sitnyakovo Drag Every day from 8.30am to 4.15pm. VITOSHA Mountain rescue base Cherni Vruh (02) 967 11 28 Mountain rescue base Aleko (02) 967 11 55 Lifts working hours: Simeonovo gondola lift: Mon-Sun: 8.30am to 4.30pm Romasnki chair lift: Mon-Sun: 9am to 4pm Technical checkup: every Monday till noon Pomagalski drag lift: Mon-Sun: 9am to 4pm Technical checkup: every Monday till noon Dragalevtsi chair lift: Thurs-Sun: 8.30am to 4.30pm ICE SKATING RINKS Winter palace, Studentski grad Sat-Sun: 3pm to 4.30pm; 5.30pm to 7pm Ice skates rent: two leva Wardrobe: 50 stotinki Admittance fee: three leva Slavia sports complex Tsar Boris III blvd. Sat-Sun: noon to 1.30pm; 6pm to 7.30pm Ice skates rent: two leva Admittance fee: two leva Winter Sports
Sofia Venue Finder
Sofia Venue Finder Cultural Centres & Institutes British Council (7 Krakra) Tel: 942 43 44 Euro-Bulgarian Cultural Centre (17 Stamboliiski Blvd) Tel: 988 0084 French Cultural Institute (2 Vassil Levski) Tel: 981 6927 Goethe Institute (1 Budapeshta St.) Tel: 939 01 00 Hungarian Cultural Institute (1 Alexandar Zhendov, ap 10) Tel: 971 47 98 Italian Cultural Institute (1, Aleksandar Zhendov, ap. 10) Tel/fax: 971 4798 Krasno Selo Hall of Culture (41 Tsar Boris III) Tel: 951 6273 Polish Cultural Institute (12 Graf Ignatiev) Tel: 981 0907 Russian Cultural Institute (34 Shipka) Tel: 943 3693 Galleries Alexander Gallery (55 6th Septemvri) Tel: 981 3968 Art-Is Gallery (14 Gurko) Tel: 986 7261 Art Alley (51A, Gladston) Tel.: 986 7363 Ata Centre for contemporary Art (2 Liberty Square) Classic Gallery (32 Yuri Venelin) Cyclop Gallery (75 Krum Popov) Tel: 963 4944 Festinvest Gallery (26 Tsar Assen II) Tel: 943 4811 Foreign Art Gallery (1, 19th February) Tel: 980 7262 Gallery of the Union of Bulgarian Artists (6 Shipka) Tel: 467113 Ikar Gallery (2 Lui Lezhe), Tel: 981 8505 Irida Gallery (27 Gurko) Tel: 981 8345 Krissmar Gallery (11 Han Krum) Tel: 986 5740 Melon Gallery (45 Tsar Assen) Tel: 981 7624 Minion Gallery (84 Vassil Levski Blvd)Tel: 981 5530 National Art Gallery (1 Battenberg Square) Tel: 980 0093 Raiko Alexiev Gallery (125 Rakovski) Sharon Art Gallery (2a Nikola Obreshkov) Tel: 971 5700 Solers Gallery (37 Galitchitsa) Viking Gallery (63 Tsar Simeon) Tel: 983 2926 Theatre for Youth (10 Narodno Subranie) Tel: 988 1753 Halls Bulgaria Hall (1 Aksakov) Tel: 987 7656 Bulgaria Chamber Hall (1 Aksakov) Tel: 987 7656 Sredets Hall of Culture (2A Krakra) Tel: 442526 Unions of Bulgarian Composers Hall (38 Alabin) Tel: 986 1600 Theatres Bulgarian Army Theatre (98 Rakovski) Tel: 986 1600 Marieta and Marioneta Theatre (48 Bigla) Tel: 962 1418 Music Theatre Stefan Makedonski (100 Vassil Levski Blvd) Tel: 44 2321 National Theatre Ivan Vazov (5 Vassil Levski Blvd) Tel: 987 4831 State Satirical Theatre (26 Stefan Karadja) Tel: 988 461 Sulza i Smiah Theatre (Tear and Laughter) (127 Rakovski) Tel: 987 5895 Theatre Academy (108A Rakovski) Tel: 981 0551 Velinovi Theatre (Druzhba 1, Kindergarten 121, near block 46) Tel: 987 2272 Others Arabesque Troupe (3 Panayot Volov) Tel: 441979 Architects’ Club (11 Krakra) Tel: 442673 Bulgarian Composer Union (2 Ivan Vazov) Tel: 987 7656 Earth and Man Museum (4 Cherni Vruh) Tel: 656639 Interpred Salon (36 Dragan Tsankov Blvd) Tel: 7146 3219 Military Club (7 Tsar Osvoboditel) Tel: 988 1746 Sofia Opera House (1 Vrabcha) Tel: 988 4040 Sofia State Library (4 Slaveikov Square) Tel: 988 3252
Sofia Restaurants
Sofia Restaurants Baalbeck, near the corner of Graf Ignatief and Diakon Ignatii streets. Tel 9870907. Go past the take-away operation to the small restaurant upstairs, to find an excellent choice of popular items of Lebanese cuisine. Affordable. Beyond the Alley Behind the Cupboard, 31 Budapest St, 983 55 81 A perennial favourite, this restaurant is housed in a renovated turn-of-the-century house with a large garden out front. The garden is as elegant and stylish as the Sezession restaurant, with wide linen canopies and fig trees. Imaginative international cuisine, laid-back service. Bitburger, 20 Stefan Karadja St. Tel 9819665. Terrific if you're a fan of wurst and beer, and a quite civilised version of a German-style beer hall. Suitable for convivial business lunches and a fun evening out. Service unobtrusive and efficient. Bulgari, Knyaz Dondukov Blvd, 435419 Boasting one of the largest gardens in Sofia, Bulgari's menu is made up of almost entirely Bulgarian dishes. Passable service, large portions, wonderful setting. Bulgarian Conspiracy (Bulgarska Zavera), 87 Tsar Samuel, Tel 981 1005 Instant ambience in an 80-year-old cellar, conversation-piece artifacts, with a menu quite international in scope, rather than just traditional Bulgarian. Prices average for this class of restaurant. L'incontro, 24 Assen Zlatarev St., 463557 L'incontro has extended onto the pavement on Assen Zlatarev St., even going so far as to build a little terrace there. The restaurant offers Italian cuisine, predominantly pizzas and pastas, though we particularly like the hot starters. A good and inexpensive venue for lunch if you work in the Doctor's Garden area. Dany's, 18a Angel Kunchev St., 9874548 Dany's sandwich bar offers several tables on the pavement of one of central Sofia's backstreets. You can choose between the giant-sized sandwiches or one of several large and filling salads on offer. Prices are high but ingredients are top quality and the bread is baked on the premises. Also offers home-made lemonade and comfort-food cakes. Fiesta, 16 Saint Nedelya Square. Tel 9873476. Advertised as a pizza restaurant, Fiesta also offers a range of Mexican dishes, although they are not very spicy. A limited range of desserts. Understaffed, making service slow. Golden Grill (Zlatna Skara), 90 Buxton Boulevard, Tel 9559394. Serbian cuisine. Popular with well-heeled Sofians and an increasing number of foreigners. Impeccable service. Good for meat-lovers, and portions are giant-sized. Krim, 17 Slavyanska St, 981 0666 One of the few restaurants that was around before the arrival democracy, Krim exudes an air of old-school elegance and service, .Krim still fills up with Bulgaria's political and business elite winter and summer alike. A long menu offers Bulgarian, Russian and International cuisine in very large portions. La Capannina, 9 Narodno Subranie Square, 9804438 La Capannina has made the most of the extra-wide pavement on Narodno Subranie Square to bring the small but stylish restaurant outside. Besides a menu of authentic Italian dishes, you can also find ciabatta sandwiches to take out and the most delicious cakes and biscuits in town. The view of the Parliament building with Alexander Nevsky Cathedral behind it is unbeatable. L'etranger, 78 Tsar Simeon St. 088 752 3376 Now in larger premises, this French-style bistro keeps diners posted of its menu updates by an ever-changing list on a chalk board. Machu Picchu, 24 Slavianska St. Tel 988 3525. Mexican cuisine, along with traditional Bulgarian favourites. Not the best Mexican cuisine in the world, but perhaps the best in Sofia. Convivial and not too pricey. Mahaloto, 51 Vassil Levski Boulevard, Tel 0887 617972 Attractive decor, a good classic Bulgarian/international cuisine selection, a venue suitable for business lunches, intimate dining, or sharing with a large group of friends. Manastirska Magernitsa, 67 Han Asparuh St A 'Hansel and Gretel' garden in front of a fairy tale house. Opened this year, 'The Monastery Kitchen' prides itself on serving old and forgotten Bulgarian dishes that few have had the chance to try. Moderato, 6 Atanas Dalchev St, Iztok district. Tel 9700111. Extremely classy in terms of interior design, polite and attentive waiters, and for all that with prices more reasonable than might be expected from the surroundings. Check for special dishes not listed on the menu. An extensive, international-style menu. Nov Standart, 34 Shipka Street, Tel 944 7777 Recently-established but already popular, with plenty of seating, good service, and reasonable prices. Menu offers international cuisine. Decor modern, music not too loud. Okonomiyaki, corner of Ivan Assen II and Svetoslva Terter streets. Tel 8468896.Taking its name from the Japanese word for restaurant, this restaurant offers diners the choice of ingredient for their pancakes. Relaxed atmosphere; booking essential. Onda Coffee Break, 8 Benkovski Street, and at Metro Cash and Carry. A popular choice for breakfast or just to pop in for coffee and a croissant, also selling a wide choice of packaged sandwiches. Orient Express, 11 Krakra St. Tel 655444 While it has menus in Bulgarian and English, the latter is so badly translated as to be incomprehensible. The garden dining area is lovely in summer, but the fare is of mixed quality and the service is slow. Pano, 18 Oborishte St 468 687 Pano offers a few tables on the pavement on Oborishte St, fenced off from passers-by with small cypress trees. Pano's predominantly Mediterranean-influenced menu and high standards mean it can be difficult to find a table either inside or out. Panorama BBQ, Radisson SAS, Narodno Subranie Square At night, the lights from the Parliament building and Alexander Nevski Cathedral, provide a great background for a pleasant evening sitting outside, high enough where it's a little cooler and more comfortable. Panorama has a great antipasti buffet filled with a variety of meat and vegetables, but the high point of the menu is the selection of real American steaks. Panorama Window Over Sofia, Kempinski Hotel, 100 James Bouchier Blvd., 686 096 Reputedly one of the best restaurants in Sofia, it is also one of the most expensive. You will be paying not only for the high quality of the cuisine but also for one of the best views in the city. International dishes are on offer. Pchela, 9631392, 2 Sveti Sedmochislenitci Street, Slightly off the beaten track in Lozenets, Pchela has long been a favourite for discreet business lunches. The interior is large and quiet with separate booths for each table. Bulgarian and international cuisine. Phoenicia, Zone B5, 929 3641, On of Sofia's gem in terms of original Lebanese food and specialities. Known for its live music and entertainment programme, the place is a favourite among foreigners and tourists. The famous parsley salad is one of kind offered there. Pri Miro, 34 Murphy St. Tel 9437127 Said to be the most authentic Serbian restaurant in Sofia. The menu is so large that it almost overwhelms. Dishes are 'Balkan-man-sized,' our reviewer said. Prices are on the high side. Pri Orlite, 11 Vassil Levski St, 981 5000 Pri Orlite is 18 floors up in the Ministry of Transport and really does show you the whole of Sofia. The nighttime view is "peerless" and is a must if you are trying to impress a guest. International cuisine dominates the menu. Prices are hefty. Pri Yafata, 28 Solunska Street, Tel 980 1727 Done in the style of a traditional mehana, this well-established restaurant is popular among foreigners for its large portions, reasonable portions, and live traditional Balkan region music. Ramayana, 32 Hristo Belchev St, 088 892 533 Sofia's only Indian Restaurant has a large and leafy back garden which offers an intimate setting with tables spaced far apart. Owned by an Indian couple, Ramayana is the only place to taste authentic Indian cuisine in Sofia, albeit watered down for Bulgarian tastebuds. Prices very reasonable. Seasons, Hilton Hotel, 1 Bulgaria Blvd, 933 5000 It's hard to tell you are in the centre of Sofia when you sit on the large gem of a terrace that looks out onto the park behind the modern Hilton hotel. Impeccably stylish, the restaurant offers modern, fresh and delicious food, combining flavours from all over the world. Sky Food, 3 Vassil Levski Rated as the best Chinese restaurant in Sofia by our reviewer, this is one of the few that do not totally alter the food to pander to the Bulgarian love of salt. Dishes are well presented, chopsticks are also available. There is no natural light in the restaurant, which can make it dreary in summer. Good value for money. Sweet Dreams, 50A Alabin St (first floor), Tel 9808163. A vegetarian restaurant that opened for business in March, on offer is a rich variety of fare at rock-bottom prices. Our reviewer found it to be 'surely the healthiest place to eat in town'. A good ventilation system keeps the smoke away. Taj Mahal, 181 Rakovski St. Tel 9873632 This Indian-themed restaurant acquits itself well with a comprehensive list of all the standard favourites. Good for an intimate dinner with friends. Tambuktu, 10 Aksakov Street, Tel 988 1234. A fish restaurant with neo-African decor, efficient service, and - predictability, given that Sofia is 400km from the sea - high prices Tasty World, 9 Oborishte St. Tel 0888 208 060 International cuisine as well as Bulgarian dishes. A wide range of dishes, with menus in English and Bulgarian, but a small wine selection. Main courses, and the desserts, are to be recommended. The Czech Club in Bulgaria, Krakra Street. Cheap, filling, traditional Czech cuisine, in plain surroundings. This restaurant, established for many years, has a hard-core following of regulars and tables can be at a premium. The House with the Clock, 15 Moskovska St, 987 5656 Undoubtedly one of the best locations in Sofia with a garden restaurant. The House with the Clock is on the quiet part of Moskovska St opposite the Royal Palace, the house itself is a gem. Tables are spaced far apart in the garden's lush greenery and are well fitted inside. International cuisine. The Thirties (30te Godini) 47 Cherkovna St. Tel 8437679. Opened last year in a house dating from the 1920s, The Thirties honours the traditions of elegant dining. A large wine list, exhaustive and imaginative range of salads, a main course served in generous portions, and the dessert menu caters well for foreign tastes. The Twelve Chairs, 12 Doctor G Vulkovich St. Tel 9892120. Actually two restaurants, with a Russian restaurant in the lower section, which is highly recommended. Authentic cuisine and good service. On the pricey side. TM, 34 Yuri Venelin St, 989 1212 Turkish restaurant in a beautifully decorated house close to the Turkish Embassy. Excellent appetisers, limited main course selection of mostly lamb or chicken dishes. Uno Enoteca, 45 Vassil Levski Blvd, 981 4372 This restaurant is invariably full on a summer's evening, so book in advance. Uno Enoteca's garden has a discreet ambience, enhanced by the sound of water trickling through the rockery. Mediterranean influenced cuisine, various grilled fish and barbecued meat. Vagabond, 5 Svetoslav Terter St. Tel 944 1465. Serving Bulgarian and Russian cuisine in a plain setting, small enough to be cosy, but this also means reservations are a good idea. A small menu, but the quality of the food is excellent. Zad Teatera, 6 Ivan Vazov St. Tel: 9801539. A tranquil oasis offering international cuisine in an elegant setting. Extensive wine list, and one of the largest dessert selections in Sofia. Booking recommended. 1001 Nights, Narodno Subranie Square, Radisson SAS, Tel: 9880109 Lebanese cuisine in an oriental setting. The crowing glory of 1001 Nights is the musical troupe that performs every weekend evening after 11pm. A trained belly dancer dances to the music of local and imported musicians to create a traditional oriental atmosphere. Sofia Restaurants
Eagles Bridge
Eagles' Bridge St. Cyril and Methodius National Library (Biblioteka) The National Library is a massive building, with a statue of Saints Cyril and Methodius directly in front, presiding over a neatly planted flowerbed. The brothers are credited with developing the first version of the Cyrillic alphabet to best suit the needs of the Slavic language. Underneath, in the basement, is a very popular bar with live music most nights, named - naturally - The Library. St. Kliment Ohridski University As the pupil of Cyril and Methodius, who further developed the Cyrillic alphabet, Kliment Ohridski's name now adorns the nation's first and largest university. Constructed late in the 19th century, just after the war with the Turks ended, the institution began admitting students in 1888. The first female students were admitted 1902. Standing (or rather sitting) guard over the stairs are statues of brothers Evlogii and Hristo Georgiev, who graciously donated money and land to found the university. Further down Shipka Street is the Russian Cultural Centre, where the spacecraft Vostok, which took the dog Leika into space in 1963, is displayed. Eagles Bridge and the Parks The 19th century Eagles Bridge (Orlov Most) is east of the university. It is visible at the end of Tsarigradsko Shosse ("King and City Highway"), which begins at the Evlogii Georgiev Blvd. canal and heads southeast out of Sofia, towards Plovdiv. In the area are several large parks with Soviet Socialist-style monuments to the Russian Army who helped liberate Bulgaria from the Ottomans in 1878. The largest park is Borisova Gradina, or Boris' Garden, a huge area of trees, paths, tennis courts, two stadiums, multiple playgrounds and fountains (now sadly dry) Going across the canal and Eagles Bridge from Borisova Gradina brings you to another interesting but smaller park. Skateboarders, rollerbladers and bikers congregate and perform acrobatics on makeshift ramps under the shadow of the towering Monument to the Soviet Army and various other Socialist-style statues, now unfortunately painted with graffiti and covered with poster adverts. The monument itself is immense, with a 9 metre high bronze statue of a Russian soldier, side-by-side with a Bulgarian worker and a peasant mother and her child, on top of a 34 metre high obelisk-shaped column.
Alexander Battenberg Square
Alexander Battenberg Square A bit further along is Alexander Battenberg Square, formerly called "9th of September Square". During Communist times in honour of the Fatherland Front Coalition takeover of the government on that date in 1944. Communist parades and ceremonies were held here regularly on dates commemorating important events, such as the anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution which took place November 7, 1917. Tsar's Palace On the North side of the square is the former Royal Palace, a beautiful yellow late-19th century Viennese Baroque recently refurbished building. Built in 1873, as the seat of the local Turkish governor during the time of the Ottomans, it later became the residence of the Bulgarian monarchy, beginning with Knyaz (Prince) Alexander Battenberg. The building currently houses the National Art Gallery in its western wing. Established in 1948, the gallery contains over 12,000 pieces of Bulgarian artwork from the 19th and 20th centuries that are displayed amid the often-faded decor of the former palace. There is also a continually changing exhibit of current artists. Tel. # 980-3325Open 10:30-18:30, except MondaysAdmission 3 leva (Tuesdays free!), 9 leva for guided tour. The palace also houses the Ethnographic Museum in its eastern wing, which was established in 1878 but severely damaged in 1944 air raids during The Second World War. Exhibits of original national folk costumes from around the country, various displays of everyday tools and implements and celebrations of harvests and holidays are labelled in Bulgarian and sparsely in English. Possibly of more interest is the magnificent wooden carved ceiling - and the museum does have a very decent gift shop selling Bulgarian rugs, crafts and souvenirs. There were recent rumours about moving the museum in order to again make this a political site, as the Bulgarian President's Offices, but that still seems to be a rumour. Tel. # 987-4191Admission 3 leva, guided tour 7 leva (no tours Tuesdays). Student discount of 50 per cent. Open 10:00-17:00, except Mondays City Garden Area Across the square from the Ethnographic Museum is the wide open City Garden, the oldest public garden in Sofia. Until the autumn of 1999, it wasn't so open, as the North end was blocked by the squat, boxy white marble Mausoleum of Georgi Dimitrov - Bulgaria's first Communist Prime Minister after The Second World War. After his (some say suspicious) death in 1949 while on a business trip in Moscow, the mausoleum was constructed in an amazing six days. His body was returned to Sofia, embalmed, and put on display inside the structure for all to parade past, much as Lenin's body lies in Moscow's Red Square. His family removed his remains in 1990, cremated and buried them next to his mother in the city graveyard. The mausoleum remained and sometimes served as the stage and backdrop for outdoor opera performances such as Aida in 1997. However, at the end of the summer of 1999, much to the dismay of many in the public, the UDF government decided to tear the mausoleum down. Prime Minister Ivan Kostov claimed it was a "symbol of autocratic totalitarian power" and the "negation of parliamentary democracy." Proceeding without popular backing and despite protests that expressed the need to preserve Bulgaria's history, even the Communist parts, workers tried in vain to blow up the structure several times with dynamite. After several failed attempts to topple the monument, it was discovered that the structure had been reinforced to withstand a nuclear blast. Amid much smirking from the general public (and especially from the Socialist BSP party), it was finally bulldozed with the help of the Army Corps of Engineers. By the end of the rather embarrassing event, an estimated $400,000 had been spent and the UDF had lost much of its hard-won credibility. The debris was replaced within a couple of weeks with a sprawling autumn beer festival, complete with a concert stage placed exactly on the site of the former monument. Ivan Vazov National Theatre A walk through the park away from Boulevard Tsar Osvoboditel will take you to the impossible-to-miss pink and white Ivan Vazov National Theatre, where the National Theatre Company performs Bulgarian, as well as international, plays. It was built in 1906-07 (in either Neoclassical or Baroque style, depending on which publication you read), and is brimming with Greek mythological figures. The triangular white and gold frieze above the front stairs shows Apollo and the Muses, and twin towers on either side of the building depict the Goddess Nike in a chariot. The interior was restored in 1929, after a fire had destroyed it six years earlier. The stage curtain was created by Panagyurishte carpet weavers and depicts the Tsar Ptitsa, or King Bird from Stravinsky's ballet. The fountain area stretching out in front of the theatre is usually full of men playing chess if the weather is decent enough. The fountain and its reflecting pool were built in 1976, and have recently been restored to working order, but it only operates from spring to autumn. City Art Gallery At the far end of the City Garden is the City Art Gallery, which was actually a casino until 1944. It now contains over 3000 pieces of mostly contemporary Bulgarian art, and hosts occasional musical recitals. Tel. # 872181 Open 10:00-18:00, except Mondays. Admission free. The National Archaeological Museum Travelling further back to the Yellow Brick Road and continuing away from the Russian church, you'll find the Archaeological Museum, founded in 1879 and recently re-opened after massive restoration work which began in 1992. The interior of the museum is now open and airy, well lit and full of artifacts with English captions. Most of the pieces are from Thracian, Greek and Roman periods, including the Vulchitrun Treasure - a 12.5kg collection of solid gold objects of Thracian origin. Besides the antiquities, the building itself is quite interesting, originally a late-15th century mosque called the Buyuk Djamiya (Great Mosque), it is always covered with vines and ivy. A common complaint of the museum in the past has been that most of its 200 000-plus pieces have been tucked away and not made available for public viewing, but this has changed slightly. If you visit the swanky-looking new Museum cafe behind the main building, you can dine among some of the larger artifacts that are now sprinkled about the courtyard, but have yet to find their way to an inside exhibition. Tel. # 882405, Open 10:00-16:00, except MondaysAdmission free, but donations gladly accepted
Tsar Osvoboditel
Tsar Osvoboditel blvd. Boulevard Tsar Osvoboditel Boulevard Tsar Osvoboditel, named after the "Tsar Liberator" Alexander II of Russia, is fondly called the Yellow Brick Road for obvious reasons. Its characteristically unique yellow bricks were originally given as a gift in 1907 to King Ferdinand from his Austrian cousin, Emperor Franz-Joseph. They were recently re-laid (by hand, no less!) in an effort to make the road slightly less bumpy for motorists who speed up and down its length. It is a landmark thoroughfare leading in and out of the city centre, stretching from the university to the shopping centre TZUM. Heading towards the city centre from the National Assembly you will encounter the recently restored Military Club, a 19th century Renaissance-style building on the corner of Tsar Osvoboditel and Rakovski Street. It was once the scene of fashionable balls and celebrations for Sofia's elite, including Mustafa Kemal (the founder of modern Turkey), who was the Sultan's Military Attache here in the years after the Second Balkan War. It is still used for various concerts and recitals, and a portion of it now houses the trendy nightclub, Chervilo (Lipstick). Russian Church of Saint Nicholas This beautiful white and green building with its five golden domes was designed by Russian architect Preobrajenski and built by Russian workers (some of the same that worked on the Nevski cathedral) from 1912-14. Named after St. Nikolai "the Blessed and the Miracle maker," it was constructed in order to appease a Tsarist diplomat who was afraid to worship in Bulgarian churches. The onion-shaped golden domes were recently re-gilded by Bulgarian and Russian workers with gold leaf donated by the Patriarchate of Moscow. The church's small interior tends to be very dim, but it is worth a look at the frescos, which are of the Novgorod iconography school. Many people come to pray to Bulgarian Bishop Serafim (1881-1950), who is buried in the crypt and seen by many Bulgarians as a saint, although he has never been canonized. Messages and wishes for miracles are written on slips of paper and left in a box by the Bishop's white marble sarcophagus. Moving towards the city centre from the Russian Church, you'll pass the Natural History Museum, which has Geology, Zoology and Botany sections that will satisfy any desire to see rocks, minerals, stuffed animals or their skeletons.
Around National Assembly Square
Around National Assembly Square The National Assembly (Narodno Subranie) Bulgaria's Parliament, the National Assembly, is stationed in a neat and unassuming white building next to Nevski Cathedral. Based on plans by Bulgarian architect Yovanovich, it was constructed from 1884-1928, and its facade bears the inscription "Unity is Strength" ("Obedinenieto Pravi Silata"). Bulgarians, led by student protesters, took this to heart in December and January of 1997, when they held mass demonstrations here against the then-ruling BSP Socialist government. On January 11, 1997, the protesters blocked 100 Socialist members of Parliament from leaving the building, despite the presence of Ministry troops and riot police who were less than hesitant to use their batons (over 200 demonstrators were sent to the hospital). The crowd eventually stormed the building, causing quite a bit of destruction in the form of broken windows, damage from homemade smoke bombs, smashed computers, and the like. The ensuing mass strikes, nightly marches and road blocks resulted in the BSP consenting to hold early elections. That April, the Socialists were dethroned and UDF leaders were overwhelmingly voted into power. Directly across from the Parliament building is the commemorative statue of Russian Alexander II, the Tsar Osvoboditel ("Liberator"), who sits astride his horse. Standing 14 metres tall, the bronze statue was designed by Italian Arnoldo Zocci and finished in 1905. The Tsar holds the declaration of war against the Ottomans in one hand, and the pedestal - which is made of granite from Mount Vitosha - bears several detailed scenes in bronze from the War of Liberation. These include the goddess of victory (complete with shield and sword) leading troops into war, the fierce battle at Stara Zagora, the signing of the San Stefano Peace Treaty in 1878, and the first National Assembly in Veliko Turnovo. Next to the Parliament is the recently restored Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, a beautiful building dating back to 1926.
Sofia Sights
Sofia Sights St. Alexander Nevski Cathedral The cathedral sits in Alexander Nevski Square, a large and open cobblestone area that plays host to an eclectic and fascinating daily open-air flea market. The area is also often used for huge political rallies. The church's famous gilded domes (whose gold leaf was donated by the Soviet Union in 1960) cast a massive overall presence. The monument covers an area over 3100 square metres and can be seen from most elevated areas in Sofia - even from Mount Vitosha! The National Assembly of 1879 made the decision to build the church as a monument to honour Tsar Alexander II of Russia. The "Tsar Liberator" and his army (200000 of whom were killed) helped free Bulgaria from the Ottoman Turks in the War for Liberation in 1877-78. The structure was named after the patron saint of the Tsar's family, Alexander Nevski, a Russian prince who helped thwart a Swedish invasion of his homeland in 1240 and was subsequently sainted for his efforts. The stone foundation was laid in 1882, but it took over 30 years to complete the neo-Byzantine style cathedral using the design of Pomerantsev, a St. Petersburg architect. With five aisles and three altar iconostases, the cavernous interior of the church is full of interesting details made by both Russian and Bulgarian artists. Unfortunately, dim lighting makes some of these difficult to see -such as the expressive paintings of Biblical scenes and saints that cover the walls and ceilings. Other highlights include: Italian mosaics, multi-coloured marble, stained glass windows, huge chandeliers and a throne enhanced by Brazilian onyx and alabaster, once used by Tsars Boris and Ferdinand. The cathedral has a capacity of 5000 and hosts at least that many on important Orthodox celebrations, such as midnight mass ceremonies on Christmas eve and Easter - when thousands of Bulgarians solemnly sweep through and around the outside of the cathedral, candles in hand, often singing. Hearing the cathedral's choir singing Bulgarian Orthodox hymns and chants is a haunting and memorable experience that should not be missed. Open daily 7:00-17:30. Daily services 8:00 and 17:00. Saturday service 18:00. Sunday service 17:00. Admission free. The Museum of Medieval Bulgarian Art (in the Alexander Nevski Cathedral Crypt) The cathedral's crypt houses a very well designed, displayed and maintained museum which displays about 250 original mural frescoes and icons at any given time. All eras of Bulgarian icon painting are represented, and many of them are from the famous Tryavna, Samokov and Nessebar schools of iconography - including unusual double-sided icons from the 14th century. The gift shop has many good replica icons for sale, ranging from very affordable to not at all affordable prices. Tel. # 981-5775. Open Daily 10:00-18:00, except Tuesdays. Admission 3 leva, guided tour 9 leva. Church of Sveta (Saint) Sofia Sitting adjacent to the Nevski Cathedral, and looking much more modest, is the red brick Church of St. Sofia, a recently restored Byzantine church which gave its name (meaning "holy wisdom") to the city in the late 14th century. Today, it is the oldest Eastern Orthodox church in Sofia, and the second oldest building in the city, with a long and fascinating history. It was built on the site of several earlier churches and places of worship dating back to the days when it was the necropolis of the Roman town Serdica (named after the Thracian Serdii tribe who originally inhabited the area). In the 2-nd century CE, it was, ironically enough, the location of a theatre used by the Romans for bloody public spectacles, such as the persecution and sacrifice of Christians in battles against gladiators and various wild beasts. Over the next few centuries, several other churches were erected, only to be destroyed by invading forces such as the Goths and the Huns. The basic cross design of the present basilica, with its two east towers and one tower-cupola, is probably the fifth structure to inhabit the site and was built during the reign of Byzantine emperor Justinian in the middle of the 6-th century. During the Ottoman period of Bulgarian history, a minaret was added which functioned as a mosque. Earthquakes in 1818 and 1858 destroyed the minaret and the mosque was more or less abandoned for some years before restoration work began. After recent renovations (some is still being done), the church is open and well worth visiting. Open 7:00-18:00. Admission free. Other notable attractions. Beside the Church of St. Sofia, facing the flea market, is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the Eternal Flame Monument - memorials to Bulgarian soldiers who have died in the service of their country. Created in 1981, the monument bears poetry from Ivan Vazov as well as soil from both Shipka and Stara Zagora - sites of some of the fiercest fighting during the 1877-78 war against the Turks. Around the back of the church is the grave of author Ivan Vazov, who penned the famous book "Under the Yoke" about the time of Turkish oppression. It was his wish to be buried in a place where the common people of Sofia spent time. A boulder taken from nearby Mount Vitosha marks his grave. Just South of the square stands the Holy Synod. Built in 1910, this is the location of the official headquarters of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church as well as the residence of the Bulgarian Patriarch (closed to the public). Sporting colourful mosaics, stone and tile work, an arched portico and several cupolas, the building is an interesting backdrop to the bustling flea market that occupies this portion of the square on most days, especially on weekends. To the East of the Nevski Cathedral, you'll pass the "Lace Ladies" portion of the Nevski bazaar. Here you can bargain for all sorts of traditional and modern lace, embroidered tablecloths and linen, rugs and even old folk costumes. Continuing on, you'll see the large white St. Cyril and Methodius International Art Gallery, which, upon completion in the late 1800's, served as the Royal Printing House. Destroyed in bombing raids during the Second World War, it was rebuilt and eventually reopened in 1985. It holds an interesting collection of international artwork, including wood carvings from Africa, art from Burma, Japanese prints, wood sculptures from temples in India, and several pieces by European masters such as Matisse, Van Dyke, Delacroix and Renoir. There is also a good collection of Bulgarian art and some historical pieces, such as a replication of a 4th century Roman tomb and church that were found when construction of the building first began. Open 11:00-18:00, except Tuesdays. Small admission fee, guided tour 4 leva. Just beyond the gallery is a busy traffic circle, non-descript except for its historic importance to Bulgaria's past. Here cars and busses impolitely screech around the obelisk monument which marks the spot of famous anti-Turkish revolutionary Vassil Levski's hanging on February 19, 1873 - three years before the Liberation war actually broke out. Annual ceremonies take place in February, when Bulgarians lay fresh flowers at the monument to honour this much-revered hero of independence. Taking Rakovski Street from St. Sofia will take you to the National Opera, which was opened in 1909. Here you'll be greeted on the corner by a hulking bronze statue of Alexander Stamboliiski. This former Prime Minister's radical policy on agrarian reform and his ideas about giving up the fight for Macedonia eventually led to his assassination on this spot by the IMRO, in a 1923 uprising. The Opera building itself is rather large and imposing, built in the neoclassical style with columns lining the front stairs, and a frieze above which portrays the Bulgarian fight against fascism. The interior is quite striking, decorated with various paintings and with marble. Reasonably priced tickets to ballets and operas can be bought at the ticket office at the opposite end of the front stairs.
Sofia City Transportation
Sofia City Transportation Trams Most convenient way to get around the city (cost: 50 stotinki per ride) Metro Links the city centre with the western neighborhood of Lyulin (cost: 50 stotinki per ride; 7 stops) Buses and Trolleys Most popular but very crowded and uncomfortable (cost: 50 stotinki per ride) Tickets In the public city transportation you must have a ticket bought from a kiosk or a stand at the stop or from the driver. The ticket must be validated as soon as you board the vehicle in one of the punching devices mounted onto its walls. If you fail to do that, you might get into trouble with the ticket inspectors who randomly board the vehicle. They are obliged to wear navy blue vests and badges but they often hide them and put them on once the doors are closed. Until recently the ticket inspectors were known as the rudest people in Sofia but the city transportation company is making efforts to hire better qualified people. Most of them, however, still do not speak any foreign language. If you do not have a ticket or it was not validated, they’ll still manage to fine you no matter what. If this happens, you must insist on getting a ticket for the fine so that they will not keep the money for themselves. As a general rule, the fine is 10 times the price of a regular ticket. Once you have paid your fine, you can finish your ride on the vehicle. Taxis Are everywhere and are required by law to give you a printed receipt of the fare. (Fares range in price from 39-50 stotinki per km. Some of the major taxi companies are Taxi-S-Express – 91280, Radio CV Taxi – 91263, OK Supertrans – 9732121) Rent a-car Hertz Tel. # 980-0461, Avis Tel. # 981-1082, Budget Tel. # 987-1682, Europcar Tel. # 988-8686,Tany Rent a Car Tel. # 937-3329 (Rates for western cars range from $19.00 to $70.00 and higher) Mini-buses Same routes as buses and trolleys, only faster (cost: 1 lev) Bus info Private Bus Companies: Most privately-run domestic and international buses depart from two large staging areas near the central train station. Mitsubishi and Mercedes luxurious coaches featuring air-conditioning and video are some of the vehicles used. A few private bus companies are: Grup (http://www.etapgroup.com) – one of the major bus companies providing both domestic and international bus transport. Its website, however is only in Bulgarian. Its ticket centre is located at the bus stop behind the Princess Hotel (near the central train station). Phone number: 981 51 59 from 6.30 am to 7 pm. Etap (http://www.etapgroup.com) – another major bus company, recently merged with Grup. Provides both domestic and international transport. The website is in Bulgarian but provides timetables, distances between towns and process of tickets. Its ticket centre is located at the bus stop behind the Princess Hotel (near the central train station). Phone number: 931 81 23, 931 04 94, 832 90 85 from 6.30 am to 11 pm. Vitosha Express – domestic lines only. Its ticket centre is located at the bus stop behind the Princess Hotel (near the central train station). Phone number: 931 12 76. Kaleya - Its ticket centre is located at the bus stop behind the Princess Hotel (near the central train station). Phone number: 931 18 28. Provides domestic service to most major cities and an international service to Germany, Austria and Turkey. Biomet – domestic and international cargo and passenger transportation, http://www.biomet-bg.com/?lng=en&mod=passenger – following this link, you will find timetables, ticket prices and the addresses and telephones of the ticket centres. Rail info Central Railway Station (Tsentralna Gara) Information - 931-1111 Buy tickets at the international Rila Ticket centre (info 987 07 77), near the Central Post office in Sofia – they sell tickets for the international trains as well. The website, http://www.bdz-rila.com/index-en.htm, contains information about the timetables of the international trains, reservations, prices and discounts. There is also a travel centre under the National Palace of Culture (NDK). Tel: 65 84 02. The website of the Bulgarian State Railways, http://www.bdz.bg/eng/index_eng.htm, has an excellent version in English containing all sorts of information, including prices, timetables http://razpisanie.bdz.bg/cgi-bin/ph_lat.pl and interesting information. Perhaps the most useful and most often updated (every day!) site of a state-owned company. All international trains should be either fast (burz) or express (ekspres) trains. National trains can be regular (puticheski), fast (burz) or express (ekspres), with the price going up slightly for speedier travel. Some international and national trains have sleeper cars available; call or visit a ticket office for current information and reservations.
sofia Useful Numbers
Sofia Phones Useful Numbers Emergency Ambulance 150 Fire 160 Police 166 Report a crime hotline 982 2212 (Bulgarian, English), 9804040 2323 (voice mail) Utilities Problems Phone Lines 130 Waterworks 974 54 18 Central Heating 951 51 96 Electricity East 989 38 01 Electricity West 925 02 04 Electricity North 470 161 Electricity South 952 66 85 Cars Road Assistance: SBA: 146, 048 146 Towaway 983 6747 Taxis Taxi-S-Express 9 1280 SoFIATaxi 947 74 74 OK Supertrans 973 21 21 CV Taxi 9 1263 Sofia Airport International Arrivals 937 22 12 International Departures 937 22 11 Domestic Flights 937 22 13 Lost luggage 937 24 91 Sofia Central railway station 931 11 11 Miscellaneous MTel Info 0888 133 to 0888 137 GloBul Info 098 123 and 933 0718 to 933 0725 NDK box office 916 6369 Opera House box office 987 13 66 Business Bulgarian Industrial Association 980 99 16 American Chamber of Commerce 981 59 50 Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry 987 26 31 Bulgarian Foreign Investment Agency 985 55 00 Sofia Phones Useful Numbers
Bulgaria Overview
Overview Bulgaria is now recognised by the United States and other major international players as having a functioning market economy. But while it is on the road to meeting the criteria for accession to the European Union, Bulgaria’s business environment contains pitfalls for the unwary. Probably as a continuing legacy of communism, many in the bureaucracy are unresponsive to the needs of the private sector, a factor which aggravates another source of criticism, the fact that doing business in Bulgaria is subject to a potentially very frustrating range of regulations. Navigating the business environment in Bulgaria is best done through a combination of local business connections who have access to the country’s informal networks, and the help of law, accounting, and human resources professionals to keep one on the correct side of the law. The European Commission, in its latest report in November 2003 on the progress being made by European Union candidate countries, noted that Bulgaria had made further progress in creating a non-discriminatory regime of national treatment for foreigners performing economic activities in Bulgaria. In late 2003, Parliament approved changes to the Foreign Investment Act. These changes include treating domestic and foreign investors on an equal footing. The changes are also geared to reducing the amount of time spent on administrative issues. Investors with dual citizenship can decide which status to use, that of a local or foreign investor. Foreigners are allowed to take part in all types of companies, with no restrictions. However, constitutional restrictions on foreigners owning land remain in place, even though it appears they will eventually be removed. In any case, in real life foreigners who want to tend to “own” land through local nominees. The amended act is meant to encourage investments in products meant for export, in agricultural production and in IT, as well as investments that can be implemented within three years or open new jobs. Investment Bulgaria Agency, according to the new law, must issue certificates to investors, categorising the investment as first, second, or third class. The degree of assistance by the state will depend on the class of the investment. The EC also noted that the Bulgaria had made good progress in adopting new legislation on capital movements and payments. Company law has also been further aligned with the requirements for EU membership, but the commission said that there was a need for the enforcement of legislation on the protection of intellectual and industrial property rights. The Bulgarian economy, in recent years, has achieved a high degree of macroeconomic stability, thanks to a good policy mix achieved through the currency board arrangement (put in place in 1998 to stabilise the currency, the mechanism ties the performance of the lev to that of the euro), a tight fiscal stance, and wage moderation. Should the Government continue on this course, sustained growth is possible. However, there are problems. Labour law does not allow much flexibility in the labour market. No notes on the business environment in Bulgaria can be made without reference to the shadow economy. Investigations by the state in 2003 found significantly large sums of income that had been concealed by taxation, failure to pay social security contributions, and obstructions by employers to labour inspections. After the fall of communism and amid the economic traumas of the late 1990s, and to this day, groups believed to be linked to organised crime have carved for themselves a place in certain sectors of the economy. Various observers, including the EC, have noted that the tax administration remains inadequate to its task. Steps are, however, being taken to improve this. At the same time, economic development in Bulgaria has shown positive trends in various areas, including tourism, the capital market, and the banking system. As regards the banking system, which took a very cautious approach after the economic meltdown of 1996-97, the degree of lending in the market, including of small loans, appears to be rapidly on the rise; to the extent of causing concern in some circles that unless caution is exercised, Bulgarians could find themselves in debt traps. Bulgaria also has on its side a relatively well-educated and computer-literate workforce, and, for the time being at least, labour that is more affordable than in Western countries. Infrastructure is also steadily being improved, mainly thanks to foreign – in particular, European Union, funding. Investors often cite the judicial system as a matter of concern. Court actions can take an inordinate length of time and there are continuing suspicions of irregularities in the system. For all the shortcomings, many believe that Bulgaria is a country which has a lot of potential and with determined effort could overcome obstacles to an improved business environment. Among expatriates, many find Bulgaria a pleasant place to live and work.
Taxation
Taxation The European Commission, in its November 2003 report on the progress of European Union candidate countries, said that Bulgaria had achieved positive developments in the areas of Value-Added Tax (VAT) and excise duties. However, significant further efforts were needed to strengthen the tax administration. Attention was needed to improving tax collection, enhancing internal control, ensuring that the computerised tax information system becomes fully operational, and completing preparations for interconnectivity with EU IT systems. Changes to taxation rules in 2003 provided that the income of a foreign person who is resident in a state with which Bulgaria has signed an agreement on avoiding double taxation, but who has earnings in Bulgaria, will be declared as subject to taxation under the terms and procedure of the respective Bulgarian tax law. After the tax payment, the foreign person may request a refund of the difference between the tax paid and the one due under the relevant double taxation agreement. In such cases, the foreign person has to prove that he is a resident of the country with which Bulgaria has signed such an agreement, and that he has no establishment or fixed base within Bulgarian territory related to the respective income. The chief tax inspector has the discretion to extend the term of a revision following a motivated request to this end. Bulgarian tax residents are all individuals who have their permanent domicile in the country, spending more than 183 days in any 365-day period ending within the calendar year in question. In December 2003, Parliament provided that licenced special investment purpose companies will be exempt from corporate tax. Amending the Corporate Income Tax Act, Parliament said that publicly-financed enterprises will pay four per cent on operational income instead of corporate tax. The rate of tax on donations to educational establishments, health and medical treatment facilities, disabled people assistance funds, and municipalities, is now 15 per cent, from a previous 20 per cent. Private high schools, and private primary and secondary schools, are allowed to retain 20 per cent of corporate tax. Payment of tax on the revaluation reserve for fully depreciated assets will be able to be rescheduled for three years. An expatriate employed in Bulgaria must have both a work and residence permit. The mandatory insurance paid by foreign employees is the same as for Bulgarian employees, unless there is a specific social insurance agreement between Bulgaria and their country. Expatriates registered with the Bulgarian court as procurators or members of management boards of companies, usually referred to collectively as directors, are exempt from the need for a work permit. The annual income tax declaration is due by April 15 each year, and must be paid within 30 days of the submission of the tax declaration. Any income derived by an individual from the conduct of business on the territory of Bulgaria is considered to be from a Bulgarian source. A person is considered to have carried out business on the territory of the country where he has a permanent establishment or a fixed base in Bulgaria; he has assigned or performed an assignment on the territory of the country, whether in person or through a procurator, agent or in some other way. Any income under an employment contract or derived from rendering services is considered to have been derived from a Bulgarian source where labour has been extended or services have been delivered on the territory of the country, regardless of the source of payment for the labour extended or services rendered. Notwithstanding the above, some kinds of incomes paid out by Bulgarian residents or from a permanent establishment to a non-resident on the territory of the country are considered to be from a Bulgarian source. These incomes include, for example, dividends and distribution of profits of entities with or without legal presence, interest, royalties, rentals, payments under lease, franchising, factoring, as well as emoluments of freelancers, or members of a managing or controlling body of a Bulgarian corporate; branch of a foreign entity, etc. Incomes derived from the use of real estate and capital gains from the sale of real estate located in the country, as well as incomes from transactions with quotas/shares in local companies and incomes from securities transactions with securities issued by the Bulgarian state and municipalities are also incomes from a Bulgarian source. Any income derived by an individual from the conduct of business on the territory of Bulgaria is considered to be from a Bulgarian source. A person is considered to have carried out business on the territory of the country where: he has a permanent establishment or a fixed base in Bulgaria;he has assigned or performed an assignment on the territory of the country, whether in person or through a procurator, agent or in some other way. Any income under an employment contract or derived from rendering services is considered to have been derived from a Bulgarian source where labour has been extended or services have been delivered on the territory of the country, regardless of the source of payment for the labour extended or services rendered. Notwithstanding the above, some kinds of incomes paid out by Bulgarian residents or from a permanent establishment to a non-resident on the territory of the country are considered to be from a Bulgarian source. These incomes include, for example, dividends and distribution of profits of entities with or without legal presence, interest, royalties, rentals, payments under lease, franchising, factoring, as well as emoluments of freelancers, or members of a managing or controlling body of a Bulgarian corporate; branch of a foreign entity, etc. Incomes derived from the use of real estate and capital gains from the sale of real estate located in the country, as well as incomes from transactions with quotas/shares in local companies and incomes from securities transactions with securities issued by the Bulgarian state and municipalities are also incomes from a Bulgarian source. Tax Exempt income The following are considered tax exempt: incomes derived from the sale or exchange of certain types of immovable property (flats, houses or villas) or means of transport, subject to certain conditions; incomes derived from the sale or exchange of movable property except for the means of transport as per the preceding bullet, as well as the sale of shares, quotas and other equity interest in a commercial company, etc;compensations received as a result of statutory pension, health and social security insurance, as well as other certain compensations; interest accrued on deposits in local commercial banks and branches of foreign banks, the interest and expenses on court-awarded claims, as well as incomes derived from investments of the insurance reserves on life insurance, marriage and children's insurance and life insurance, if connected with an investment fund; cash and non-cash income from social financial aid and the unemployment compensations and subsidies; financial aid granted by social funds and organisations; subsidies from the state in respect of children and payments determined by court to support a child; student grants for Bulgarian resident individuals for their education in the country and abroad; prizes from the lottery and other games of fortune; salaries and emolument of foreign diplomats pursuant to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations; company profits distributed as new quotas and shares in commercial companies, as well as the profits distributed as an increase in existing quotas and shares' par value; rentals from agricultural land; and incomes derived from transactions with public companies' stocks and trading rights on public companies' stocks, made on the regulated Bulgarian stock market. Incomes, not specified by PITA as tax exempt, are considered taxable. The annual taxable base is the sum of all taxable incomes received during the calendar year, deducted by: incomes taxed with a final tax, mandatory and voluntary national insurance, pension, health insurance, unemployment fund contributions, as well as the premiums paid in on account of the persons under life insurance contracts and "Life" insurance, if connected with an investment fund; statutory deductions applicable only to non-employment contracts (e.g. 35 per cent of the gross income for services contracts; 10 per cent for management fees); reliefs for donations not exceeding 10 per cent of the taxable income after other statutory deductions have been made - not applicable to employment income; there are no tax deductions related to personal allowances for spouses and dependants. The loss carry forward facility is not applicable for individuals. Specific rules relevant to taxation of different types of income Incomes from employment consist of all payments, including fringe benefits in cash or in kind, paid out by the employer or at its expense to the tax liable person during the calendar month. Non-taxable are: the value of free of charge prophylactic foodstuffs, antidotes and personal safety guards pursuant to the Labour Code and other statutory instruments; the value of special working clothes, free of charge work clothes and uniforms provided under the Labour Code or other acts (e.g., those provided to public servants); certain compensations under the Labour Code (e.g. business travel compensations; reassignment compensations; etc.); the value of travel cards for travelling from place of residence to place of work provided by the employer to the employee free of charge; social expenditures incurred by the employer and taxed under the Corporate Income Taxation Act (fringe benefits distributed as social expenses). The tax base of incomes, derived under employment relationships and relationships that are equalised to them, is formed by deducting the taxable income with the instalments made for pension, health and other insurance the employee is bound to make by virtue of law. The taxable income is reduced with the personal instalments paid in on account of the persons, made for voluntary pension and health insurance and voluntary unemployment insurance, as well as with the premiums paid in under life insurance contracts and life insurance on account of the persons, if connected with an investment fund. Capital Gains The tax base in case of sale or exchange of immovable and certain movable property is the difference between the selling price and the higher price between the factual and updated price paid for the acquisition of such property. This rule applies to certain types of vehicles (e.g. aircraft, sea vessels, and cars). For any other type of movable property the tax base is the difference between the selling price and the re-valued price for the acquisition of such property. Incomes derived under an employment contract are taxed on a monthly basis and the annual tax obligation is subject to adjustment on an annual basis, to which the annual progressive scale applies. Income Received by Civil Contractors and Freelancers A 20 per cent advance tax payment is due upon payment and the final tax obligation is assessed and paid annually. Mandatory and voluntary pension, health and other contributions as well as personal premiums under insurance contracts and insurance if related to an investment fund made on account of the individuals, can be deducted from the taxable income before applying the advance tax. The pre-paid tax is set off against the final annual tax obligation. 35 per cent of the gross income is tax deductible. Income Received by Sole Traders The base for taxation is determined under the rules of the Corporate Income Tax Act. Advance payments of tax are made as per the rules of the same Act. The annual tax is paid in accordance with the annual progressive scale. Rental Income Received Personal income tax is due on an annual basis. 20 per cent of the income is tax deductible. If the real estate and/or the movable property are owned by more than one person, the income is divided in proportion to the participation in the ownership. If the rent is payable to a non-Bulgarian tax resident, a 15 per cent withholding tax is levied. Royalty payments and technical services fees, when paid to non-Bulgarian tax residents, are subject to a 15 per cent withholding tax at the source (the paying company or partnership). No additional tax is levied. Fees for management services are not considered technical services fees and are not subject to withholding tax. Dividends, including any distributed profit from companies or partnerships) are taxed by 15 per cent at the source (the paying company or partnership), which is the final tax on this kind of income (except when the dividends are distributed to local commercial companies). Stock dividends are not taxable. Payments under lease, factoring and franchising contracts are subject to personal income tax under the annual progressive scale. Returns Persons who during the tax year have received income only from employment; and/or, rentals from agricultural land; and/or,certain compensations taxed at their payment are not obliged to submit tax returns. Tax liable individuals, who during the calendar year have received only employment income from a non-resident employer, are obliged to submit annual tax returns. Other tax payers submit annual tax returns by April 15 of the year following the respective tax year. For tax purposes, spouses are treated as separate taxpayers. No income splitting is allowed. The standard form of the tax returns is promulgated in the State Gazette and is available on Internet. Payment of Tax Personal income tax on employment income is withheld from the gross remuneration on a monthly basis by the employer. The employer acts as an agent of the Revenue authorities and transfers the tax to the budget. Taxpayers who are not employees in certain cases pay advance tax, either regularly (sole traders), or whenever income is received. Social security, unemployment fund and health care contributions In general, employers are obliged to pay social security contributions at a 24.7 per cent rate, and employees at an eight per cent rate. Unemployment fund contributions are payable by the employer at a four per cent rate, where three per cent is for the account of the employer and one per cent is for the employee's account. Health care contributions at a 4.5 per cent rate will be due by the employer and another 1.5 per cent by the employee. The above contributions shall be calculated on the remuneration and other employment income of the employee for the respective month but on not more than the maximum monthly insurance base fixed annually in the Mandatory National Insurance Budget Act.
Accounting
Accounting Bulgaria introduced International Accounting Standards (IAS) on January 1, 2003, for certain companies. This was done two years ahead of European Union countries. The companies for which IAS as mandatory as from the beginning of 2003 include Bulgarian banks, insurance companies, social security institutions, and investment and public companies. They are now required to prepare their entire monthly, quarterly, and six-monthly accounts according to IAS. IAS will become mandatory from 2005 for all companies in Bulgaria, including small and medium-sized enterprises. This is in contrast to EU countries, where only public companies will be obliged to use IAS from 2005. Questions have been raised about whether SMEs in Bulgaria will have the capacity to comply with the requirements of using IAS. Elsewhere in Europe, there has been major resistance among small and medium enterprises to being required to use IAS. Media reports in early 2003 pointed out that the Bulgarian-language version of IAS runs to 800 pages. An English-language version has been compiled by a group of experts. The introduction of IAS in Bulgaria was regulated by the new Accounting Act, which was approved by Parliament towards the end of 2001. In January 2002, the Government adopted 37 new National Accounting Standards, compliant with the IAS. Of these, 32 standards refer directly to the IAS and five are Bulgarian standards because they have no equivalents in the IAS list. A Government ordinance regulates the use of IAS, and flows from the provisions of the Accounting Act. According to the Accounting Act, the reporting period is January 1 to December 31.
Agriculture
Agriculture According to the most recent European Commission report on Bulgaria’s progress as a European Union candidate country, in the field of agriculture, Bulgaria had made considerable progress in adopting legislation in the veterinary and phytosanitary sector. However, the report noted, considerable work lies ahead in order for Bulgaria to achieve EU veterinary and phytosanitary control and hygiene standards. The EC said Bulgaria had achieved a reasonable degree of legislative alignment in regard to fisheries. Again, however, further progress was needed with regard to technical capacity of inspection and control systems as well as with regard to compliance with EU hygiene and health requirements. In many respects, this seems to accord with the overall picture of agriculture in Bulgaria – that some steps have been achieved, but much unrealized potential remains, and much remains to be done. Currently, according to Government figures, agriculture generates about 12 per cent of Bulgaria’s gross domestic product, and provides a livelihood for about 368 000 people and a subsidiary source of income for almost one million people. Bulgaria’s significant agricultural products include vegetables, fruits, tobacco, livestock, wine, wheat, barley, sunflowers, and sugar beets. A financial agreement between the European Union and Bulgaria, ratified by Parliament in July 2003, provides for SAPARD assistance of more than 56 million euro to the country by the end of 2006, with Bulgaria having to add to the funding 18 million euro of its own. The funding is to be used to enable Bulgaria to be able to fulfil EU accession criteria. Projects for which the funding is being used include investing in agriculture, and specific assistance to fruit and vegetable producers. Also in July, Agriculture Minister Mehmed Dikme announced the establishment of a special fund to promote Bulgaria’s wine industry abroad. The cultivation of new vineyards will be assisted by the State Agriculture Fund. A special soft-credit line of 10 million leva has already been launched. Every grape farmer can rely on a subsidy of 1 000 leva for each new hectare of land planted with grapevines. During the past eight years, the export of Bulgarian wines has shrunk and the country slid from sixth place to sixteenth as an international wine exporter. In 2001 the industry produced 800 000 hectolitres of wine, compared to 2 400 000 hl in 1998. The new national strategy envisages the cultivation of up to 5 000 ha of new vineyards every year. This effort is essential for Bulgarian winemaking, which may otherwise perish within 20 years, Dikme said. Bulgaria will insist on being granted exclusive rights to three grape varieties within the European Union. These are the Broad Melnik, Gamza and Mavrud vines, which are cultivated in Bulgaria only. Draft amendments to the Act on Wines include establishing a wine police in Bulgaria. Officers of the Vineyards and Wines executive agency will be empowered to conduct inspections of any part of the winemaking process. The Government this year felt the need to take steps to protect agriculture, by raising the duties levied on imported agricultural products. Imposed in June, the Government said the measure would last no longer than until the end of 2003. The measure was also aimed against the grey economy, which has manifested itself in agriculture, as in other sectors in Bulgaria. A change that was set to take place from the beginning of 2004 flows from the Bulgaria earlier having signed an agreement with the World Bank on an Agriculture Sector Adjustment Loan. As a trade-off, from 2004 the country has to stop subsidizing water prices for irrigation farmers. The Government has predicted that the effect on the water price would be minimal. Bulgaria is taking an increasing interest in possibilities for expanding organic farming. However, serious problems remain for the agriculture sector, not least of which is the fact that post-communist property restitution has left a patchwork of small, not necessarily competitive parcels of land throughout the country, which given their small scale, make it difficult for the farming sector to take on large-scale export orders which require shipments to be done efficiently and in bulk. Agriculture
Human Resources
Human Resources Economic development and the imperative to remodel business practice as part of Euro-Atlantic integration means that human resources practice is increasingly taking on a shape ever more similar to the ways of the West. At the same time, there is an increasing number of human resources professionals and consultancies in the country. There is a Bulgarian Human Resource Management and Development Association, which in 2002 became a probationary member of the World Federation of Personnel Management Associations. This probationary membership is scheduled to continue to mid-2004. Established in July 2000, at present the BHMDA has more than 500 members who work in the area of human resources management and development as company managers, human resource managers in Bulgarian and multinational companies and banks, training and development managers, HR consultants, and university lecturers. BHRMDA organises seminars, symposiums, round tables, popularises ideas and participates in pilot projects in the area of human resources development. The association has a website (htpp://bhrmda.orbitel.bg) and publishes and circulates a monthly electronic bulletin for news and actual information, articles and interviews on HR topics. The most common way to find new staff is to use a human resources agency. According to the Bulgarian Foreign Investment Agency, there are agencies that have about five years’ experience in working in Bulgaria providing professional staff for investors. In most cases they are able to carry out all of the work for the investors, including placing advertisements, prior selection, and psychometric testing of applicants. Most of these companies also have a database of people seeking work. It is also very common to recruit staff through press advertising. According to the Foreign Investment Agency, head-hunting is not yet common practice in Bulgaria and most managers find it strange to be approached in this way. The major audit companies, in most cases, also do personnel selection functions for their clients. The Labour Code, periodically revised, sets out the rules for remuneration and salary structure. The total cost of employment consists of the basic salary, plus social security payments and a range of other smaller taxes. The Bulgarian Industrial Business Association (BIBA) produces an annual set of salary tables for most sectors, including consulting, retailing and manufacturing. These are drawn up on the basis of averaging about 30 companies and can serve as a useful guide to real salary figures. The survey also gives information about levels of bonuses, and provision of other perks. It should be borne in mind that any additions to the basic salary are taxable. However, if these benefits are included in the basic salary, they will also be taken into account in calculating social security taxes. According to the Foreign Investment Agency, the most common forms of incentives are free medical service, food vouchers, transport cards for public buses, clothing allowances, and discounts on purchases of company products. According to the Labour Code, discrimination by employers on the basis of race or gender is not allowed. Employment relationships are governed by law through employment contracts. The contracts must be in written form, and should specify the place and nature of work and salary. Usually, such contracts are for an indefinite period. However, the Labour Code also provides for fixed-term contracts, for temporary, seasonal, or other short-term work. A fixed-term contract may be transformed into one for an indefinite period. Probation periods of up to six months are allowed. Contracts must include certain items set out by law: working hours, remuneration, holidays, safe and healthy conditions of work, social and cultural services, and conditions and requirements for termination of the contract. Monthly remuneration must not be less than the minimum wage, which currently is 110 leva a month. Income taxes, mandatory and voluntary social security contributions are deducted at source. The employer is obliged to provide social security and make contributions regularly at the expense of the employee. There is also provision for civil contracts. A civil contract operates on the principle of being a contract providing for two parties agreeing that one of them shall perform an activity that shall produce a result of the assigned activity, while the other party pays remuneration for this. This means that the employer does not – in fact, cannot – specify the working times, leave, and other conditions standard to a labour contract. If there is a civil contract, the employee pays 20 per cent advance tax, as set out by the Law on Taxation of Incomes of Natural Persons, but neither the employer nor the employee pays the unemployment fund contribution. Therefore, if the contract is terminated, the employee cannot register as unemployed, and, logically, cannot receive unemployment severance. Termination may be done in various ways. The law provides for three options: general grounds, and special grounds for termination, with or without notice. Notice of termination should be in writing, for a period of 30 days up to three months. If notice periods are not observed, either party can claim compensation, based on remuneration or damage caused, respectively. As regards social security, employers must register at the local social security administration within seven days from the day they employed anyone subject to compulsory insurance. Public social security is obligatory for all employees employed by Bulgarian or foreign natural or corporate bodies within the country. The code of social insurance includes insurance for general illness, work accidents, diseases resulting from the occupation, maternity leave, old age and death, unemployment, as well as additional compulsory pension insurance. All workers have to be insured, whether on labour or civil contracts. But for people on civil contracts, insurance need cover only disability, general illness, old age and death. The only exception to this is if the civil contract was for a monthly payment of less than one minium wage. The distribution of installments between insurers and insured are at changing rates, and are meant to equalise in 2007 at 50-50. They were 70-30 in 2003. Working hours for a five-day working week are up to 40 hours, and 46 hours in a six-day week. Flexible working hours are permitted by law. The employer has the right to specify when an employee must be at work. As regards leave, the law says that an employee is entitled to annual paid leave after eight months of service. The minimum annual paid leave is 20 days. Maternity leave currently is up to two years, but it was reported in 2003 that the Government intends to reduce this. During maternity leave, the insured woman is entitled to receive pecuniary indemnification from the National Security Institute to the extent of 90 per cent of insurance income for a term of 135 days, 45 of these before childbirth. After this period, the mother is paid monthly pecuniary indemnification at minimum wage until the child is two years old. The same rules apply to adoption. In other developments in the past year, the Cabinet approved an ordinance which lists the days considered religious non-Bulgarian Orthodox holidays. The ordinance, number 875 of 2003, outlines the holidays of the Roman Catholic Church, Muslim, Jewish, and Armenian Orthodox religions, Adventists and Krishna faithful. On the dates set out, adherents of these faiths are allowed to take paid and non-paid leave, as governed by the Labour Code. As regards the employment of foreigners, all foreigners who have permanent residence or are granted right of sanctuary or refugee status have the same rights to work as Bulgarian citizens. Temporary work permits are issued by the National Office of Employment of the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy. These work permits are issued for a specified time, job and employer. The permit is issued after an application by the employer. It is valid for the time of the employment contract but not more than one year. The permission may be extended. The permit can be issued only if there is no Bulgarian citizen suitable for the job. The number of employees who are foreign citizens cannot exceed 10 per cent of the total workforce. The employer must ensure transport expenses for the foreigner’s return in the event of termination of the contract ahead of time, expiry or annulment of the work permit. Work permits for foreigners will not be issued if the employer making the application has within the past eight months dismissed Bulgarian citizens suitable for the job for which the permit is being requested, or the offered work conditions and remuneration are less favourable than those usual for Bulgarian employees, or if the salary offered is insufficient to ensure the necessary means of existence, or the constitution or the law require Bulgarian citizenship for the job. Contract disputes with foreigners may be handled either by Bulgarian or other courts, as agreed. Human Resources
Privatisation
Privatisation If there is any single subject apart from failure to deal with organised crime that has been the leading cause of criticism of the current Government – and for that matter, its post-communist predecessors, it is privatisation. There is a widespread perception, well justified in certain cases, that the handling of privatisation has been characterised by ineptitude, procrastination, a lack of transparency, and abrupt and unpredictable twists and turns in how the rules are applied, or even as to what the rules are. Yet, at the same time, significant funds have been earned from privatisation, and at the start of 2004 there were signs of real progress regarding two of the most protracted and controversial privatisations, that of the Bulgarian Telecommunication Company and the state tobacco giant, Bulgartabac. The year 2003 also saw the successful privatisation of the state savings bank DSK, a transaction which marked the closing phase of the privatisation of the banking sector. The sale of the bank was agreed on in May 2003, with Hungary’s OTP paying a reported 311 million euro for it. Another apparently successful privatisation in 2003 was that of the Rodina printing house, of which a 51 per cent stake was sold to the United Bulgarian Newspapers Consortium, made of mostly of major Bulgarian-language newspapers, with other shareholders including Petar Mandjukov, who is involved in the weapons industry, publishes Duma newspaper, and owns the cable television station BBT. After a series of court actions contesting whether the Bulgarian Telecommunication Company should go to Turkey’s Koc Holding consortium, or Viva Ventures – backed by Advent International of the US – the deal on the sale to Viva Ventures was signed on February 20, 2004. The buyer, Viva Ventures, was to pay 230 million euro for a 51 per cent stake in the telecom and immediately after the shares are transferred to Viva, the company was to raise the BTC capital by an additional 50 million euro and increase its stake in the telecom to 65 per cent. The BTC deal was the biggest in Bulgarian privatisation history with a total financial result of 1.1 billion euro, Privatisation Agency executive director Ilia Vassilev said at the signing the sale contract. Progress in privatisation in 2003, however faltering it might have appeared, seemed set to change the shape of the role of foreign investment in Bulgaria. Analysts predicted that once the BTC and Bulgartabac privatisations were completed, foreign investments would make up more than eight per cent of GDP. Bulgartabac’s privatisation has gone through a long and complex saga, with no result by early 2004, beyond the endorsement by the Cabinet and Parliament of a new strategy to sell off the giant in parts. This is the strategy which many observers believe should have been implemented from the outset, but political interests and concerns about job losses were an obstacle to this. The latest privatisation strategy, expected to pick up pace in 2004, envisages the sale of 80 per cent of Bulgartabac Holding within 18 months. The holding has 22 subsidiaries in Bulgaria and eight abroad. Reportedly, at least six Bulgartabac plants will be sold for a nominal one lev or closed down. Proceeds from the sale of the viable parts of the holding are to be distributed among loss-making parts to alleviate the social consequences, and to pay out dividends to shareholders. Another major part of the privatisation story is linked to the liberalisation of the energy sector. This liberalisation is scheduled to take place between 2005 and 2007. By February 20, five candidates had submitted preliminary offers for 67 per cent stakes in the country’s main power distribution companies. The five were EVN AG of Austria, Enel SpA of Italy, CEZ of the Czech Republic, PPC of Greece, and E.ON of Germany. The Government, in the second half of 2003, pledged to amend the Privatisation Act to enable the process to be accelerated, and to prevent disputes over deals being ultimately decided by the courts. The privatisation saga is far from over, but has come some way. According to the Privatisation Agency, about 70 per cent of the state assets earmarked for privatisation were sold between 1993 and 2000.
Legal Issues
Legal Issues The two most popular legal forms for carrying out business in Bulgaria are a joint stock company (AD) and a limited liability company (OOD). As they are companies with limited liability of their shareholders (who are responsible up to the amount of their share in the capital of the company), the AD and OOD are the most preferred forms for doing business by both local and foreign physical and legal persons. Pursuant to the Bulgarian Commercial Act, a single physical or legal person could establish both types of companies. If so, it would be a one-man limited liability company (an EOOD) or a one-man joint stock company (an EAD). An EOOD or an EAD, established in the Republic of Bulgaria in accordance with the law, is regarded as a local legal entity, although the sole owner of capital might be a foreign physical or legal person. These forms are widely used for acquiring ownership over land in Bulgaria, as this is prohibited for foreign persons according to Bulgarian legislation. I. Joint Stock Company (AD) The AD is a form of business organisation whose registered capital is divided into shares that are not associated to the personality of their holders and their transfer is not subject to court registration and entering into the Commercial Register. The Commercial Act requires that the minimum amount of share capital of an AD to be established is 50 000 leva. The minimum par value of a share is set at one lev. At least 25 per cent of the nominal value or the issue value of each share of the capital must be collected into a bank account as of the establishment of the company. The law requires an increased minimum amount of share capital (i.e. more than 50 000 leva) for certain types of business activities performed by an AD company such as banking, insurance, voluntary pension and health insurance, voluntary social security activities, organising games of chance (gambling), stock exchange operations, etc. Furthermore, most of these activities are subject to licensing. The Bulgarian Commercial Act defines that an AD may issue registered, bearer's and preference shares. Both paper-backed and book-entry shares may be issued. The AD ensures anonymity of shareholders and provides the opportunity of raising funds through issuance of bonds or shares on the stock exchange. An AD is managed by the general meeting of shareholders, and the board of directors (one-tier system) or supervisory board and management board (two-tier system). The Bulgarian Commercial Act provides for special rules for payment of dividends in an AD. Also, a CPA appointed by the general meeting of shareholders must audit the annual financial statements of an AD. II. Limited Liability Company (OOD) The registered capital of an OOD is divided into shares that are attributable to the personality of the respective shareholder. The transfer of shares to third parties is subject to a specific procedure and it should be registered in the Commercial Register that is freely accessible. A limited liability company combines the characteristics of a company of a person and a company of capital. This means that although such a company has a registered capital and the shareholders are responsible up to the amount of their share in the capital, the personality of the shareholders and their personal efforts for achieving the business purposes of the company are of a great significance for the activity of an OOD. The minimum capital required is 5000 leva and the minimum amount of a share is 10 leva. At least 70 per cent of the capital must be collected into a bank account as of the establishment of the company. The shares of an OOD may not be traded on the stock exchange and this type of company may not issue bonds. However, as an exception, the shares of the OOD owned by the state may be sold out on a stock exchange. The idea behind the exception is to provide the state with possibility to use the means of the exchange trading in order to privatize its remaining shares in such companies. It should be noticed that once sold out on the stock exchange shares of an OOD may not be subject of exchange trading on regulated markets. The management bodies of an OOD are a general meeting of shareholders and one or more managers appointed by the general meeting. The annual financial statements of an OOD must be audited by a CPA appointed by the general meeting of shareholders only if the company meets certain requirements under the Bulgarian Accountancy Act.
Real Estate
Real Estate Why have residential real estate prices increased? By Tanya Kosseva-Boshova The increase in residential real estate prices in the recent months has brought unprecedented media coverage of the real estate market.One can read articles about real estate in almost all daily and weekly newspapers and magazines.Real estate has become an attractive topic even to government officials, whose public statements have even further increased the hustle around residential real estate prices. The Bulgarian real estate market is yet another free, unregulated market, where the mechanisms of supply and demand command the movement of prices up- or down-wards.At the same time, the real estate market has some specific characteristics, which make it a unique market: lack of sufficient information; a reaction lag as compared to the other sectors of the economy; non-standardised product; lack of mobility of properties, as well as, buyers and sellers; limited number of transactions in one’s lifetime.Therefore the smooth mechanisms of the free market economy would be influenced by all of these factors and should be taken into consideration when analysing the property market. Any student in economics would tell you that prices rise when either supply shrinks or demand increases.What has happened on the Bulgarian real estate market this year?Both supply and demand have grown significantly with demand outpacing supply and therefore leading to higher sales prices. What is more interesting is what has caused demand to grow at such pace and incur such media coverage? The size of the population, disposable income of the population, availability of mortgage credits and government actions can influence demand for residential properties. The overall population of Bulgaria has been decreasing slowly in recent years, but at the same time the poor economic conditions in the countryside have forced many Bulgarians to move to the bigger cities and especially to the capital.This has led to an increase in the number of potential buyers of real estate in Sofia and the bigger cities. As a result the real estate market has been most active in these markets and is expected to continue to be in the short and medium term. The mere number of people is not a sufficient driver for the increased demand for properties – the disposable income of households is extremely important.The steady economic growth of the Bulgarian economy over the past few years has allowed some portions of Bulgarian society to be able to earn and save more money. In addition, the positive prospects of the economy have encouraged Bulgarians to plan their long-term investments in homes. People are now starting to have positive expectations and perceive the economy as moving steadily in the right direction.Should the economy continue to grow in the future the demand for residential real estate will continue to increase. Disposable income of Bulgarians is further enhanced by the availability of mortgage loans.Although interest rates are still high 8.5 to 12.5 per cent a year, many Bulgarians have taken this opportunity to be able to enjoy a new home now rather than wait for enough funds to be accumulated in 10 to 15 years.The increased competition between commercial banks will further drive interest rates down and therefore stimulate the demand for residential properties. Numerous politicians and governmental officials, as well as, other individuals, believe that Bulgaria’s accession to the EU and NATO will drive real estate prices up overnight.However this will not happen overnight but rather over a longer period. The expected accession to the EU and NATO have both affected positively the development of the Bulgarian real estate market, creating positive expectations and sense of security both in Bulgarians and foreign investors.Again, these positive expectations have created additional demand for real estate properties.In this way the government has affected the real estate market in the medium term. The Bulgarian real estate market underwent significant changes in the beginning of the year.Up to the first quarter of 2003, the residential real estate market in the larger cities was denominated in US dollars.The depreciation of the dollar against the euro encouraged the majority of sellers to convert the dollar denominated prices into euro.The phenomenon here is that they did that at an exchange rate that was significantly different from the market one thus driving sales prices up at least 10 per cent.Although prices have been driven up, this translation is actually positive for the market in the long term.The Bulgarian lev is pegged to the euro, the majority of the salaries are denominated in leva or in euro, and therefore it is logical to have real estate prices also denominated in these two respective currencies.The commercial real estate market, being a step ahead, has already experienced that a year ahead, although for a different reason. All these positive economic and political signals in the Bulgarian economy have encouraged both Bulgarians and foreign nationals to purchase residential properties with an investment purpose.This is done because of the excellent potential that the rental market still provides to expatriates.These quality properties are usually leased to foreign managers of multinational companies or diplomats at relatively high rental levels.Then, in few years significant capital gains are expected from the sale of the property.This is highly plausible and expected to happen, should the Bulgarian economy continue to grow at this rate. The government has recently taken a small but significant step in stimulating the properties market – the process of acquiring all necessary permissions for a new construction has been eased and shortened significantly. The market still awaits the long expected change to the constitution, allowingforeign nationals to acquire land in Bulgaria.Last but not least, the government can stimulate the mortgage loan market by providing some tax relief for users of mortgage loans thus stimulating demand for residential real estate. The Bulgarian real estate market follows the traditional market mechanism of development but due to its specific nature, changes in prices occur slowly, and there is a significant lag of few months before the market absorbs any economic news. The expectation is that the prices will continue to gradually grow in the near future thus stimulating developers to continue to deliver new products.
Preface
Bulgaria PrefaceBeginning in 1989, Bulgaria passed through a time of political, social, and economic transition that changed many of its basic institutions and subjected society to stresses unknown in the forty-five years of totalitarian communist rule. Events that occurred after the ouster of Todor Zhivkov in 1989 demanded a new and updated version of Bulgaria: A Country Study. Although Bulgaria was one of the most closed communist societies until 1989, subsequent relaxation of tensions and restrictions has made available an increasing amount of reliable information about both the communist and the post-Zhivkov eras. Scholarly articles and periodical reports have been especially helpful in compiling this new treatment of the country. The most useful of those sources, together with a smaller number of key monographs, are cited at the end of each chapter. The authors of this edition have described the changes in Bulgaria occurring in the last twenty years, with special emphasis on the last three. They have used the historical, political, and social fabric of the country as the background for these descriptions to ensure understanding of the context of the important recent events that have shaped the Bulgaria we see today. The authors' goal was to provide a compact, accessible, and objective treatment of five main topics: historical setting, society and its environment, the economy, government and politics, and the military and national security. In all cases, Bulgarian personal names have been transliterated from Cyrillic according to a standard table; place names are rendered in the form approved by the United States Board on Geographical Names; in the case of Sofia, the conventional international variant is used instead of the transliterated form (Sofiia). Unlike the previous edition of the Bulgaria study, this volume adds the diacritic ( ) to the letter "u" to distinguish the vowel ( ). On maps, English-language generic designations such as river, plain, and mountain are used. Organizations commonly known by their acronyms (such as BCP, the Bulgarian Communist Party) are introduced first by their full English names. Measurements are given in the metric system; a conversion table is provided in the Appendix. A historical chronology is provided at the beginning of the book, and a glossary and bibliography appear at the end. To amplify points in the text of chapters 2 and 3, tables in the Appendix provide statistics on performance and trends in the economy and various aspects of Bulgarian society.
Chronology of Important Events
Bulgaria Chronology of Important EventsSEVENTH CENTURY ca. 630 First federation of Bulgar tribes formed. 681 Byzantine Empire recognizes first Bulgarian state. NINTH CENTURY 811 First Bulgarian Empire defeats Byzantine Empire, begins expanding. 870 Tsar Boris I accepts Christianity (Eastern Rite Orthodox) for Bulgaria. 893-927 Reign of Tsar Simeon, first golden age; maximum size of First Bulgarian Empire. TENTH CENTURY 924 Simeon defeated by Byzantines; first empire begins decline. ELEVENTH CENTURY 1014 Byzantines inflict major military loss on Tsar Samuil. 1018 Bulgaria becomes part of Byzantine Empire. TWELFTH CENTURY 1185 Asen and Peter lead revolt against Byzantine Empire, reestablishing Bulgarian state with capital at Turnovo. THIRTEENTH CENTURY 1202 Tsar Kaloian makes peace with Byzantine Empire, achieves full independence, and begins Second Bulgarian Empire. 1204 Treaty with Rome recognizes pope and consolidates western border of Bulgarian Empire. 1218-1241 Reign of Ivan Asen II, second golden age of Bulgaria and period of territorial expansion 1241 Tatar raids and feudal factionalism begin, causing social and political disorder. 1277 Peasant revolt; "swineherd tsar" Ivailo takes power. ca. 1300 Tatar raids end. FOURTEENTH CENTURY 1323-1370 Under Mikhail Shishman and Ivan Aleksandur, territorial and commercial expansion resumes. 1385 Sofia captured by Ottoman Empire. 1389 Turks defeat Serbs at Kosovo Polje, exposing remaining Bulgarian territory to Ottoman occupation. FIFTEENTH CENTURY 1453 Constantinople falls to Ottoman Empire, ending Byzantine Empire. SIXTEENTH CENTURY ca. 1600 Ottoman Empire reaches peak of its power and territorial control. SEVENTEENTH CENTURY 1688 Suppression of Bulgarian revolt against Ottomans at Chiprovets ends Catholic influence in Bulgaria. EIGHTEENTH CENTURY 1741 Hristofor Zhefarovich completes his Stematografia, seminal work on Bulgarian cultural history. 1762 Paisi of Hilendar writes a history of the Bulgarian people, using vernacular Bulgarian. NINETEENTH CENTURY 1804 Serbia is the first Slavic land to take arms against Ottoman Empire. 1806 Sofronii Vrachanski publishes first book printed in Bulgaria. 1815 Bulgarian volunteers join Serbian independence fighters. ca. 1820 End of kurdzhaliistvo, anarchic period precipitated by breakdown of Ottoman authority in Bulgarian territory. 1835 Neofit Rilski opens first school teaching in Bulgarian, using Petur Beron's secular education system. 1840 First girls' school teaching in Bulgarian opens. 1844 First periodical printed in Bulgaria. 1856 First chitalishte (public reading room) opens. 1860 Bishop Ilarion Makariopolski declares Bulgarian diocese of Constantinople independent of Greek Orthodox patriarchate. 1862 Georgi Rakovski forms first armed group for Bulgarian independence. 1870 Bulgarian Orthodox Church declared a separate exarchate by Ottoman Empire. 1875 September Uprising, first general Bulgarian revolt against Ottoman rule, crushed. 1876 April Uprising spurs massacres of Bulgarians by Ottomans and European conference on autonomy for Christian subjects of Ottoman Empire. 1878 Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78 ends in Treaty of San Stefano, creating an autonomous Bulgaria stretching from Aegean Sea to Danube. 1878 In Treaty of Berlin, Western Europe forces revision of Treaty of Berlin, returning area south of Balkan Mountains to Ottoman Empire; a smaller Bulgaria retains autonomy within the empire. 1879 Turnovo constitution written as foundation of Bulgarian state; Alexander of Battenburg elected prince of Bulgarian constitutional monarchy. 1886 Alexander deposed by army officers. 1887 Stefan Stambolov begins seven years as prime minister, accelerating economic development; Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg- Gotha accepts Bulgarian throne. 1891 Social Democratic Party, later Bulgarian Communist Party, founded. 1899 Bulgarian Agrarian Union founded to represent peasant interests. TWENTIETH CENTURY 1903 Suppression of Ilinden-Preobrazhensko Uprising sends large numbers of Macedonian refugees into Bulgaria and inflames Macedonian issue. 1908 Ferdinand declares Bulgaria fully independent of Ottoman Empire and himself tsar. 1912 First Balkan War pushes Ottoman Empire completely out of Europe; Bulgaria regains Thrace. 1913 In Second Balkan War, Bulgaria loses territory to Serbia and Greece; Bulgarian nationalism on the rise. 1915-18 Bulgaria fights in World War I on side of Central Powers; decisive defeat at Dobro Pole (1918) forces Ferdinand to abdicate in favor of his son Boris III. 1919 Treaty of Neuilly-sur-Seine awards Thrace to Greece, Macedonian territory to Yugoslavia, Southern Dobruja to Romainia, sets Bulgarian reparations, and limits Bulgarian army. 1919 Under Prime Minister Aleksandur Stamboliiski, agrarians become dominant political party; socialist parties also profit from postwar social unrest. 1923 After four years of drastic economic reform and suppression of opposition, Stamboliiski assassinated by Macedonian extremists. 1923-1931 Coalition Tsankov and Liapchev governments suppress extremists; social tensions rise with world economic crisis of 1929. 1934 In Balkan Entente, Greece, Romania, Turkey, and Yugoslavia reaffirm existing Balkan borders; Bulgaria refuses participation, is isolated. 1934 Right-wing coup by Zveno coalition begins dictatorship, abolishes political parties; Macedonian terrorism ends. 1935 Boris III deposes Zveno and declares royal dictatorship that remains in effect until 1943. 1941 Bulgaria signs Tripartite Pact, allying it with Nazi Germany in World War II; Bulgaria refrains from action against Soviet Union for duration of war. 1943 Boris III dies, leaving three-man regency to rule for his underage son Simeon II. 1943-44 Allied air raids damage Sofia heavily; activity of antiwar factions in Bulgaria increases. 1944 As Bulgarian government seeks peace with Allies, Red Army invades; temporary Bulgarian government overthrown by communist-led coalition. 1946 Georgi Dimitrov of the Bulgarian Communist Party (BCP) becomes prime minister of the new Republic of Bulgarian. 1947 Dimitrov constitution goes into effect; remaining opposition parties to BCP silenced; state confiscation of private industry completed. 1948-49 Muslim, Orthodox, Protestant, and Roman Catholic religious organizations restrained or banned. 1949 Joseph V. Stalin chooses Vulko Chervenkov to succeed Dimitrov; period of Stalinist cult of personality, purges of Bulgarian BCP, and strict cultural and political orthodoxy begins. 1950 Large-scale collectivization of agriculture begins, continuing through 1958. 1953 Death of Stalin begins loosening of Chervenkov's control, easing of party discipline. 1956 Todor Zhivkov becomes first secretary of BCP. 1957-58 After Soviet invasion of Hungary, Bulgaria cracks down on nonconformism to party line in culture and politics. 1962 Nikita S. Khrushchev annoints Todor Zhivkov as successor to Chervenkov; Zhivkov becomes prime minister and is unchallenged leader for the next twenty-seven years. 1968 Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia tightens government control in Bulgaria. 1971 New constitution specifies role of BCP in Bulgarian society and politics. 1978 Dissident Georgi Markov assassinated in London. 1981 Economic restructuring in New Economic Model brings temporary economic upswing, no long-term improvement. 1981 Under direction of Liudmila Zhivkova, Bulgaria celebrates its 1,300th anniversary. 1984 First program of assimilation of ethnic Turkish minority begins. 1987-88 Dissident groups begin to form around environmental and human rights issues. 1989 Summer Second Turkish assimilation program brings massive Turkish emigration, increased dissident activity, and international criticism. 1989 Fall Massive antigovernment demonstrations trigger party dismissal of Zhivkov. 1990 Three BCP-dominated governments are formed and dissolved; round table discussions between BCP and opposition parties begin to formulate reform legislation. 1990 June First multiparty national election since World War II gives majority in National Assembly to Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP; formerly BCP) with large opposition block to Union of Democratic Forces (UDF), which has refused participation in government. 1990 July Tent-city demonstrations begin in Sofia, continue through summer. 1990 August UDF leader Zheliu Zhelev chosen president. 1990 September Zhelev meets with French and American leaders, receives pledges of economic support. 1990 November-December General strike forces resignation of government of Prime Minister Andrei Lukanov; interim coalition government formed under Dimitur Popov. 1991 January Initial phase of economic reform, including price decontrol on some commodities, goes into effect. 1991 Spring Arable Land Law begins redistribution of land to private farmers. 1991 July New constitution approved by National Assembly; national elections set for October.
GEOGRAPHY
Bulgaria GEOGRAPHYSize: Approximately 110,550 square kilometers. Topography: Mostly hills interspersed with plateaus, with major flatlands in north (Danubian Plateau, extending across entire country) and center (Thracian Plain). Main mountain ranges Balkan (extending across center of country from west to east, forming central watershed of country) and Rhodope (west to east across southern section of country); include two major ranges, Pirin (far southwest) and Rila (west central). Climate: Divided by mountains into continental (predominant in winter, especially in Danubian Plain) and Mediterranean (predominant in summer, especially south of Balkan Mountains). Rainfall also variable, with largest amounts in higher elevations.
SOCIETY
Bulgaria SOCIETYPopulation: 1990 estimate 8,989,172; 1990 growth rate negative .35 percent; 1989 population density eighty-one per square kilometer. Languages: Official state language Bulgarian; main national minority language Turkish. Ethnic Groups: In 1991, Bulgarians (85.3 percent), Turks (8.5 percent), Gypsies (2.6 percent), Macedonians (2.5 percent), Armenians (0.3 percent), Russians (0.2 percent). Religion: In 1991 Bulgarian Orthodox (85 percent), Muslim (13 percent), Jewish (.8 percent), Roman Catholic (.5 percent). Significant increase in public worship and observance of religious holidays beginning 1990. Health: In post-World War II era, state health care facilities became available to large part of population through polyclinic system, with all medical services free. In 1990 state control removed to promote diversity and specialization and reduce bureaucracy. Serious shortages of medical supplies, early 1990s. Education and Literacy: Education compulsory between ages seven and sixteen. Complete literacy claimed 1990. Extensive growth in education system in post-World War II era, with rigidly Marxist ideological curriculum; complete restructuring, modernization, and depoliticization program begun 1990.
ECONOMY
Bulgaria ECONOMYGross National Product (GNP): Estimated at US$47.3 billion, or US$5,300 per capita in 1990. Growth rate of gross domestic product (GDP) 2.8 percent 1985-89, after continuous shrinkage through 1980s. Economic growth slowed in 1991 because of large-scale restructuring of economy from centralized planning to privatized market system. Energy: Critical shortage of conventional fuels beginning with interruption of supplies from Soviet Union in 1990; heavy reliance on nuclear power from Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant. Some small hydroelectric power plants. Main coal source Maritsa Basin (low-calorie, high-pollutant lignite); little domestic natural gas, oil, or hard coal. Industry and Mining: Dramatic postwar growth in chemical, electronics, ferrous metals, and machinery industries, at expense of light industries such as food processing and textiles. Relatively narrow industrial base concentrated in several industrial centers, with inefficient use of fuels and raw materials. Major mining centers confined to lignite, iron ore, zinc, copper, and lead. Agriculture: Redistribution of land from large-scale state farms to private ownership begun 1991; private plots, much more productive per hectare, vital to domestic food supply. Major crops: corn, tomatoes, tobacco (fourth largest exporter in world), attar of roses (world's largest exporter), grapes, wheat, barley, sugar beets, oilseeds, soybeans, and potatoes. Most numerous livestock: pigs, sheep, and chickens. Exports: US$16 billion in 1989, of which 60.5 percent machinery and equipment, 14.7 percent agricultural products; 10.6 percent manufactured consumer goods; 8.5 percent raw materials, metals, and fuels. Largest export markets in 1989 Soviet Union, German Democratic Republic (East Germany), Czechoslovakia, Iraq, Libya. Imports: US$15 billion in 1989, of which raw materials and fuels 45.2 percent, machinery and equipment 39.8 percent, manufactured consumer goods 4.6 percent, agricultural products 3.8 percent. Largest import suppliers in 1989 Soviet Union, German Democratic Republic (East Germany), Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany), Austria. Balance of Payments: Hard currency trade surpluses maintained through 1985, when hard currency shortage caused recurring major trade deficits. Economic crisis of 1990-91 caused moratorium on hard-currency interest payment on foreign debt (US$10 billion in 1990). Exchange Rate: Floating exchange rate established 1990, ending limitation of conversion to within Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (Comecon). First conversion tables issued by Bulgarian National Bank in 1991; official conversion value in 1991, 18 leva to U.S. dollar. Inflation: Removal of price controls on selected categories of goods in 1991 led to severe but uneven price rises. On average, housing rose by 3.7 times, clothing three times, food six times in 1991 compared with 1989. Fiscal Year: Calendar year. Fiscal Policy: Governmental economic planning system remained centralized under noncommunist administration in 1991. Profit taxes (50 percent on profits of nonagricultural enterprises in 1990) most important state revenue source. Also turnover taxes on retail sales, excises on tobacco and alcohol, and individual income tax (less than 10 percent of total state revenue). Extensive state subsidies remained on selected economic activities in 1991.
TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATIONS
Bulgaria TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATIONSRailroads: Total freight carried 83 million tons in 1987; total passengers carried 110,000,000 in 1987. In 1987, 4,300 kilometers of track, of which 4,055 kilometers standard gauge, 245 kilometers narrow gauge, 917 kilometers double track, 2,510 kilometers electrified. Civil Aviation: National line, Balkan Airline, carried 2,800,000 passengers and 24,213 tons of freight in 1987, using eighty-six major transport aircraft. International flights to major European cities and Algiers, Damascus, Baghdad, Kuwait, and Tunis. Usable airports 380, of which 20 with runways longer than 2,400 meters, 120 with permanent-surface runways. Major airports at Burgas, Khaskovo, Pleven, Plovdiv, Ruse, Silistra, Sofia, Stara Zagora, Turgovishte, Varna, Vidin and Yambol. Highways: In 1987, 36,908 kilometers total, 33,535 kilometers hard surface, of which 242 kilometers motorway (highway); 940,000,000 passengers and 917,000,000 tons of freight transported in 1987. Inland Waterways: In 1987, 470 kilometers; Danube River, along northern border, major commercial waterway. Ports: Burgas and Varna on Black Sea; Ruse, Vidin, Svishtov, and Lom on Danube. Pipelines: For crude oil, 193 kilometers; for refined petroleum products, 418 kilometers; for natural gas, 1,400 kilometers in 1986. Conveyed 21,000,000 tons in 1987. Telecommunications: In 1987, 4,053 postal and telecommunications offices, 2.23 million telephones, 80 radio and 43 television transmitters; in 1990, 1,980,000 radio and 2.1 million television receivers. Two television networks broadcast to nineteen stations in 1991, with amplification to rural receivers. Three radio networks. Membership in Intervision East European television network and access to French satellite broadcasts.
GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS
Bulgaria GOVERNMENT AND POLITICSGovernment: Strong central government, with system of nine provinces (consolidated in 1987 from 28 districts), run by people's councils with limited autonomy and authority over local services, publicly owned enterprises, and administration. After ouster of Todor Zhivkov in 1989, communist party retained control of government but titles of head of state and party chief were separated. First noncommunist government elected 1991. Since 1990, president was head of state, prime minister was chief executive and head of fourteen-member Council of Ministers (cabinet). Unicameral legislature (National Assembly, Narodno subranie) with 400 delegates; election law simplified in 1991 for direct representation by district. Legislative decision making slowed by distribution of seats between Union of Democratic Forces (UDF) and Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP; formerly Bulgarian Communist Party, BCP). Politics: Until 1989, BCP had complete control in oneparty system with only nominal opposition. Opposition parties legalized after Zhivkov ouster in 1989. In 1990 BCP/BSP lost control of Council of Ministers when internal splits and strong opposition forced resignation of its last government, replaced by caretaker coalition government representing major parties. UDF, coalition of over twenty parties and movements, assumed leading role in 1991; with Movement for Rights and Freedoms, it formed working legislative majority after 1991 election and controlled Council of Ministers. Numerous smaller parties, notably Bulgarian Agrarian National Union and Bulgarian Social Democratic Party, remained active. Foreign Relations: After collapse of Soviet-dominated Warsaw Pact and Comecon in 1991, sought acceptance into European community and improved relations with Balkan neighbors. In absence of Warsaw Pact protection, national security sought through detente with former enemy Turkey and Western support. International image improved by major reform in diplomatic corps in 1991. International Agreements and Memberships: Member of United Nations and most of its specialized agencies. Also member of International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank, and General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT).
NATIONAL SECURITY
Bulgaria NATIONAL SECURITYArmed Forces: Included army, air force, and navy; until 1990 under complete control of BCP. Administered in three military districts with president as commander in chief, advised by National Security Council, and chain of command through Ministry of National Defense to General Staff. Commission on National Security provided legislative oversight of national security decisions. In 1990 army had 97,000 active-duty personnel, including 65,000 conscripts; the air force 22,000, of which 16,000 were conscripts; the navy 10,000 active-duty personnel, half of which were conscripts. In 1991 total active-duty personnel reduced to 107,000, over 80 percent of which conscripts. Significant manpower reductions and organizational streamlining continued in 1992. Major Military Units: In 1990, army organized in eight motor rifle divisions and five tank brigades. Major force structure change in 1991-92, reducing tank and mechanized infantry in favor of defensive systems (antitank, air defense). In 1991 navy, also being downsized, had small diesel submarines, small frigates, corvettes, missile craft, patrol vessels, coastal and inshore minesweepers, administered from Varna with bases at Atiya, Balchik, Burgas, and Sozopol. Air force had three MiG interceptor regiments, two MiG fighter regiments, limited numbers of fighter and other helicopters. Soviet SS-23 missile launchers remained in Bulgaria in 1992. Military Budget: In 1990 defense expenditures estimated as equivalent of US$1.7 billion, about 3.6 percent of GNP. Internal Security Forces: Drastic reform of State Security forces undertaken after ouster of Todor Zhivkov in 1989, to end their role as independent state enforcers of social discipline. In 1991 National Service for the Defense of the Constitution charged with identifying subversive or terrorist activities. Ministry of Internal Affairs reorganized, and its domestic and foreign surveillance arms cut deeply and put under strict civilian control in 1991. Power of militia (national police force, formerly chief enforcer of totalitarian rule) greatly reduced in 1990.
INTRODUCTION
Bulgaria INTRODUCTION FOR MOST OF ITS HISTORY, Bulgaria has been a small, agricultural nation whose location at the nexus of the European and Asian continents brought strong cultural and political influences from both east and west. Because of its location in the Balkans, on the border of Asiatic Turkey, and just across the Black Sea from the Russian and Soviet empires, Bulgaria received much attention from the commercial, political, and military powers surrounding it. Some of that attention was beneficial; much of it was harmful. In spite of foreign influences, which included centuries of occupation by the Byzantine and Ottoman empires and absolute loyalty to the Soviet Union in the twentieth century, Bulgarian cultural and social institutions maintained a unique national identity that was again struggling to reemerge after the collapse of the Soviet Empire in 1989. When Bulgaria achieved autonomy within the Ottoman Empire in 1878, it was completely without modern political and social institutions with which to govern itself and deal with the outside world. Over the next seventy years, the process of inventing those institutions was rocky and uneven, both internally and in foreign relations. In spite of a very progressive constitution, Bulgaria's constitutional monarchy was plagued by frequent changes of government and governmental philosophy, including periods of despotism, until World War II. The impact of a world depression and being on the losing side of both world wars also hindered Bulgaria's development before another expanding power, the Soviet Union, incorporated it into another empire as a result of Soviet victory in World War II. Then, when it emerged from the shadow of the Soviet Union in 1989, Bulgaria was faced again with inventing institutions that would enable its society, its economy, and its government to prosper in a world whose evolution had continued apart from them for many years. The Byzantine and Ottoman occupations eclipsed the significant cultural developments of two golden ages (in the tenth and thirteenth centuries) when independent Bulgarian kingdoms dominated their region. Despite the centuries of occupation, village cultural and church life retained basic elements of ethnic identity that fostered a national revival as Ottoman power dwindled in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. After finally regaining its independence at the end of the nineteenth century, modern Bulgaria stood in the shadow of European power politics through the first nine decades of the twentieth century. In that period, three successive major geopolitical antagonisms largely determined Bulgaria's place in the world: the Ottoman Empire versus Slavic Europe, the Axis powers versus the Allies, then the Warsaw Pact (see Glossary) opposing the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) (see Glossary). In all three cases, Bulgaria stood as a minor player placed at the critical frontier separating the sides. Besides those conditions, Bulgaria's location amid the constant turmoil of the Balkans also shaped domestic life and foreign policy, even in the relatively uneventful postwar totalitarian years. For the first forty-five years of the post-World War II era, Bulgaria was the East European country most closely allied politically to the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact member most dependent economically on Soviet aid. During that time, all aspects of life that a totalitarian government could control were redrawn according to the Soviet model--from overemphasis on heavy industry to the content of works of literature. When the totalitarian era ended in 1989, it left behind many of the rigid structures and stereotypes formed by such imitation. Although Bulgaria had strayed from the prescribed Soviet path in noncontroversial areas such as glorification of the nation's 1,300-year history and token decentralization of economic planning, the machinery of independent national policy making was decidedly rusty when the post-Soviet era dawned suddenly. At that point, Bulgaria was seemingly more liberated from involvement in the power struggles of stronger neighbors than ever before in its history. But this liberation also deprived the nation of the economic and security protection those neighbors had provided. In the early 1990s, a major reshaping of the economic power balance on the European continent was under way. Because most of Eastern Europe emerged from the economic and political dominance of the Soviet Union at the same time in the late 1980s, competition for new economic and political positions among the former Soviet client states was very keen. In this new context, Bulgaria, a nation of about 9 million persons located at the periphery of Europe, required particular energy and leadership to establish itself as an integral part of the new united Europe that began to emerge in the early 1990s. At the same time, energy and leadership were necessarily diverted to solving internal ethnic and political problems--most notably the integration into society of a substantial and vocal Turkish minority and the cultivation of an efficient government structure based on shifting coalitions among Bulgaria's traditionally large number of political parties. In the background of those issues was an economy impoverished by decades of dependence on resources from the Soviet-led (Council for Mutual Economic Assistance, Comecon--see Glossary) and poorly balanced Soviet-style central economic planning. Before World War II, Bulgarian society was overwhelmingly agricultural, supported by rich farmland that grew a variety of grains, vegetables, fruits, and tobacco for domestic use and export. Well into the twentieth century, rural life remained steeped in village traditions that had not changed for many centuries, even under Ottoman rule. Cities such as Sofia and Plovdiv were islands of commercial activity and points of contact with other cultures. The fast-paced industrialization and agricultural collectivization programs of the postwar communist regimes brought four decades of intense migration into urban areas; in 1990 two of every three Bulgarians lived in a city or town. The migration process also reduced the isolation of remaining rural populations, which maintained contact with friends and relatives who had moved away. Despite this process, however, the traditional dichotomy between cities and villages was still quite visible in the national elections of 1990 and 1991: Bulgaria's urban population largely supported economic and political reform platforms, whereas the rural regions expressed skepticism about reform by supporting the more conventional programs of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP, formerly the Bulgarian Communist Party (BCP)). Besides speeding urbanization, postwar industrial policy put most means of production under central BCP control. The state also took over the Bulgarian financial system, and agriculture underwent a series of collectivization phases between 1947 and 1958. Following the standard recipe for centralized planning of the economy, heavy industry received a high proportion of state investment compared with agriculture and consumer production. The quotas of five-year plans for all those sectors, however, reflected unrealistic expectations of increased productivity. Although later five-year plans aimed at more realistic goals, the centralized Bulgarian economic system failed consistently to increase output although it devoted huge amounts of resources to the effort. Throughout the communist era, heavy industries lacked incentives because of state subsidies, and state-run agriculture never matched the productivity of remaining small private plots. The Zhivkov government trumpeted major economic reform programs in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, but they all remained within the restrictions of the centralized system, contributing nothing to Bulgaria's economic advancement. As in the other East European countries, central planning of the economy produced severe environmental damage in Bulgaria. Damage was more localized in Bulgaria because its designated role in Comecon required fewer "smokestack industries" than that of Poland, Czechoslovakia, or the German Democratic Republic (East Germany). Nevertheless, cities such as Ruse, Dimitrovgrad, and Srednogorie suffered severe environmental deterioration from manufacturing activities under the communist regimes, which disregarded pollution in the name of progress. In 1988 public concern over environmental quality spawned the first Bulgarian protest groups, which played a central role in the overthrow of Zhivkov and then evolved in the next three years into permanent opposition parties with strong public support. In October 1991, the Grand National Assembly passed a Law on Protection of the Environment, and the coalition cabinet named shortly thereafter included a member of the Ekoglasnost environmental group as minister of the environment. Despite these measures, however, the critical need for economic growth in the postcommunist era hindered environmental recovery efforts. In 1992 auto emissions, heavy industry emissions, and power plants remained beyond government control although they contributed heavily to air pollution; excessive use of chemicals in agriculture polluted many Bulgarian lakes and streams; and continued reliance on nuclear power from unsafe equipment threatened a major radiation crisis. Besides industrialization and urbanization, other important changes had occurred under the conventional communist totalitarian dictatorships that ruled Bulgaria under Georgi Dimitrov (1947-49), Vulko Chervenkov (1949-56), and Todor Zhivkov (1956-89). Centuries before, the Russian Empire had begun to assume the stature of protector of the Slavs in the Ottoman Empire by the first in a long series of wars with the Turks. In 1944, as Axis power retreated in Europe, a strong Russophile element remained in Bulgarian society. Accordingly, Bulgarians welcomed the arrival of the Red Army, whose presence ended Bulgaria's participation as an Axis ally in World War II and laid the foundation of the postwar political system. Interwar commercial and cultural relations with Western Europe (especially Germany and Italy) were curtailed when the postwar communist regimes intensified Bulgaria's traditionally close ties with the Russian Empire/Soviet Union. In 1949 this policy shift was codified by Bulgaria's membership in Comecon, which created a new network of East European trade relationships and subsidies dominated by the Soviet Union. Between 1947 and 1989, Bulgarian foreign and economic policy followed scrupulously the policies of the Soviet Union. Intermittent periods of rapprochement and hostility between the Soviet Union and the West were mirrored in relations between Bulgaria and the NATO countries of Europe. Thus, for example, Zhivkov pulled back from newly invigorated relations with Western Europe in order to lend vigorous support to the Soviet invasions of Czechoslovakia in 1968 and Afghanistan in 1979. Bulgaria also followed the Soviet lead in assisting developing nations and supporting wars of national liberation. The Bulgarian constitutions of 1947 and 1971 borrowed heavily from their Soviet equivalents, and, especially in its early stages, the Bulgarian centrally planned economy followed Soviet guidelines. Periods of economic experimentation also coincided in the two countries; Zhivkov's first large-scale restructuring of the Bulgarian system occurred in the early 1960s, at the same time that Nikita S. Khrushchev experimented with unorthodox economic methodology in the Soviet Union. Zhivkov was able to experiment more freely because the Bulgarian system was much smaller and more homogeneous and because Bulgaria had earned a place as the most trusted and loyal of the Comecon member nations. By the mid-1980s, economic imitation of the Soviet Union had turned earlier skepticism into cynicism in large parts of the Bulgarian public. The communist regimes of the postwar era did accomplish significant improvement in national education and health care. Although the basic structure of prewar Bulgarian education remained intact after 1947, the primary goal of centralized education planning was to bring Marxist theory to as many Bulgarians as possible; hence promotion of literacy and expansion of primary and secondary education proceeded much more rapidly under the communist regimes. On a basic level, those goals were reached through a combination of rapid urbanization of the population and mandatory training for children and adults. But the state educational program was a carefully regimented, technology-oriented imitation of the Soviet Union's system. After Zhivkov, the public education system and universities officially banned political indoctrination and activity in its institutions. Because many teachers and textbooks remained from the era when only the party line was acceptable, however, transition efforts encountered stubborn resistance in some quarters. The communist era had provided very basic health care in state regional clinics available to most Bulgarians. Under the socialist health system, indicators such as average life expectancy, infant mortality rate, and physicians per capita improved steadily between 1947 and 1989. Nevertheless, post-Zhivkov governments embarked on decentralization and modernization programs to improve specialized care and raise the incentives for health care personnel and entrepreneurs in private facilities. In the early 1990s, the new programs underwent a difficult transition period that yielded uneven results. The overthrow of Zhivkov's orthodox communist regime in 1989 produced especially dramatic changes in Bulgarian political and economic life. By the mid-1980s, the Zhivkov regime already had wielded power for thirty-five years; by that time, the regime's inability to deal with new political and economic realities was obvious to many Bulgarians, especially the educated classes. Zhivkov took token political restructuring measures in the late 1980s, but by 1988 formidable opposition groups were forming around such issues as environmental protection of Bulgarian citizens and the continued failure of the economic system to raise the standard of living. In 1989 Zhivkov's heavy-handed campaign to assimilate or exile Bulgaria's large Turkish ethnic minority depleted the labor force and evoked strong protest from the international community and many groups within Bulgaria. Shortly after an all-European environmental conference in Sofia provided an international audience for protesting groups, the Bulgarian Communist Party (BCP) ousted Zhivkov to avoid losing power entirely. Although the BCP strategy succeeded in the short run, Zhivkov's communist successors were unable to meet the multitude of demands that society unleashed upon them once the symbol of monolithic state power had disappeared. Having lost the solid support of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union by 1990, the BCP hesitated between full commitment to political and economic reform and maintaining its still formidable grip on such sectors of Bulgarian society as management of heavy industry and administration of provincial government. A few months after Zhivkov's ouster, the party had changed its name to the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) and introduced a series of government reform programs. But opposition groups, combined in the Union of Democratic Forces (UDF), refused to form a coalition government with the BSP or to support BSP reform proposals. Because the UDF represented a growing majority of Bulgarian society, by the end of 1990 the UDF strategy of non-participation had forced a political stalemate and resignation of the last communist-dominated cabinet, headed by Andrei Lukanov. This development negated the broad 100-day economic reform plan that Lukanov had proposed in the fall of 1990. The old central planning system (that remained in place in 1990) had included excessive emphasis on heavy industry, distorted pricing, declining agricultural productivity, and isolation from foreign markets. By the end of 1990, those failures had brought the Bulgarian economy to a severe crisis that included a drop of 11.5 percent in net material product (NMP--see Glossary), drastic increases in unemployment, curtailment of all payments to foreign creditors, and a drop in the standard of living. The period following Lukanov's fall was one of extreme crisis; social unrest was very high, but political factions could not find an acceptable compromise course. Finally, Dimitur Popov, a judge with no political affiliation, became prime minister of a coalition cabinet that would run the government until the 1991 national elections chose a new National Assembly. Resolution of this crisis was due in large part to the negotiating skills of President Zheliu Zhelev. In 1991 Bulgaria experimented with government coalitions to promote major reform programs. Important legislative packages included depoliticization of the army, the police, courts, state prosecutors, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; amnesty for political prisoners; restoration of property to political йmigrйs and victims of repression; and reform of the local government system that remained a stronghold of socialist bureaucrats. Such reform legislation encouraged loans from the World Bank (see Glossary) and other Western sources in 1991. In mid-1991, all political factions agreed that economic reform was the government's top priority, but BSP members of parliament obstructed reform proposals that would bring temporary but severe economic dislocation. Instead, they favored a more gradual approach that would not threaten party members still entrenched in state industrial policy making. Although the National Assembly passed major legislation in 1991 on land redistribution, private commercial enterprises, and foreign investment, the key step of enterprise privatization remained unresolved in early 1992, and the land act required wholesale revision. For a previously centrally planned system, privatization brought many difficult dilemmas. The new government had to distinguish state enterprises worth rehabilitation from those that should be replaced by totally new private enterprises. Restitution was needed for Bulgarians whose capital property had been seized by the state, but resolution of claims proved extremely complex. And rapid privatization inevitably displaced large numbers of workers from former state enterprises, damaging productivity, national morale, and earning power. In February 1992, the World Bank cited the lack of privatization legislation in delaying a loan of $US250 million. Both the Popov government and the government of Filip Dimitrov that followed spent months in fruitless debate of redistribution and regulation of large industries formerly operated by the state. A vital economic support element, energy supply, became a critical problem in late 1991 when the Soviet Union first ended coal supply and then, following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, when Russia ended subsidized electric power supply to Bulgaria. Because Bulgaria's domestic energy base was quite inadequate to support an industrial system designed when outside energy supplies were plentiful and cheap, economic recovery depended on the single nuclear power plant at Kozloduy--a facility judged unsafe by both domestic and international authorities in 1991. Lacking foreign currency to import fuels, however, Bulgarian policy makers placed their hopes on Kozloduy's shaky technology to provide as much as half the country's electricity throughout the 1990s. Political developments in 1991 made accelerated economic reform more likely by finally shrinking the power of remaining Zhivkov-era officials to obstruct the transition away from authoritarian government and a centrally planned economy. After considerable delay, in July the Grand National Assembly, which had been elected for the specific purpose of drafting a new constitution, produced a document approved by a majority, but far from all, of its legislators. Some constituent groups in UDF refused to sign because they believed the constitution defended interests of the BSP, which was still the majority party at that point. Among vital innovations in the constitution were government by separation of powers, specification of the principles of a market economy, and full protection of the rights of private property. The constitution also set conditions for election of a new National Assembly under reformed election laws. The new laws simplified the extremely cumbersome system used in 1990 and reduced the size of the National Assembly from 400 to 240. In the national election of October 1991, Bulgarian politics followed its long tradition of fragmentation when forty-two parties and other groups posted candidates. Of that number, thirty-five failed to receive enough votes for representation in the legislature. UDF candidates, running on three separate tickets, together won a plurality but not a majority of seats. The BSP held the next largest block of seats, making the twenty-four-vote block of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) capable of swinging majority votes for the UDF or obstructing reform legislation. Because the MRF represented the substantial ethnic Turkish minority, many Bulgarians feared that the UDF would be coerced into pro-Turkish positions. The MRF blunted some criticism by announcing support of most of the UDF reform platform, however, shortly after the election. The fourteen-member cabinet formed by Prime Minister Dimitrov, leader of the UDF, was young (average age forty-nine), professional, and included no BSP or MRF members. Among Dimitrov's structural reforms in the cabinet (reduced from seventeen to fourteen members) was abolition of the Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations, formerly a stronghold of Zhivkovite officials. For the first time, a civilian was named minister of defense. Key cabinet figures were Minister of Defense Dimitur Ludzhev, Minister of Foreign Affairs Stoyan Ganev, and Minister of Internal Affairs Iordan Sokolov. As in previous cabinets, economic policy was divided among several ministries. Dimitrov, who introduced no formal program when he was appointed, listed ending inflation, raising productivity, and stabilizing the economy as his chief goals. Despite the triumph of nonsocialist factions in the October elections, however, the Bulgarian government remained unsettled in the winter of 1991-92. Key constituent groups such as labor unions and the Turkish population continued to be somewhat aloof from the UDF coalition as 1992 began, and the coalition itself was constantly strained by the diversity of its membership. In 1992 the former communists remained the country's largest party, and the oversized government bureaucracy created by the communist regimes still controlled many parts of the national administration. But, unlike his predecessor, Dimitrov had no opposition ministers in his cabinet, and the UDF possessed a legislative majority if it could avoid internal fragmentation and keep the loyalty of the MRF. With the environmental demonstrations of 1988, Bulgarian society renewed a long-dormant tradition of public protest, and such activities continued during the crisis years of 1990-92. Zhivkov's second campaign for assimilation of the Turkish minority brought strong protests from Bulgarian intellectuals in mid-1989. The proximate cause of Zhivkov's ouster was the mass demonstrations in Sofia in October of 1989. When the new communist government failed to account for the excesses of the Zhivkov regime and economic conditions continued to deteriorate, a massive tent city was established for several weeks in downtown Sofia in mid-1990. In November 1990, the BSP government of Andrei Lukanov resigned during nationwide labor and student strikes. The volatile ethnic issue of Turkish minority rights evoked many boycotts and protests by both Turks and Bulgarians between 1990 and 1992. And industrial strikes, most organized by the Podkrepa labor union, protested working conditions and unemployment throughout 1991 and early 1992. Although Bulgarian society was ethnically relatively homogeneous, especially compared with neighboring Yugoslavia, the Turkish minority of about one million (estimates varied from 900,000 to 1.5 million in 1991) continued to present a delicate political problem in 1992. Bulgarian-Turkish animosity was based on the indelible Bulgarian memory of five centuries of occupation and cultural suppression by the Ottoman Empire. On the Turkish side, hostility was based on more recent memories of forced assimilation and restriction of human rights by the Zhivkov regime. The Zhivkov government had justified repression of the Turkish minority by appealing to ethnic Bulgarian fears that empowering Turks within Bulgaria would once again threaten Bulgarian security. When Zhivkov fell, restoration of long-withheld civil rights became a central issue in the newly open political atmosphere. Minority rights found expression in the new political order; the MRF was formed to advance those rights, and the UDF somewhat cautiously advocated full use of the Turkish language in schools and full civil rights for all Turkish citizens of Bulgaria. Especially in eastern Bulgaria where the Turkish population was largest, a strong undercurrent of hostility grew in 1991 and 1992 between ultranationalist Bulgarians and their Turkish neighbors. Only a Supreme Court decision allowed the MRF to post candidates in the 1991 election, and the issue of restoring the teaching of Turkish in Bulgarian schools remained quite sensitive in 1992. In late 1991, the BSP, shorn of its parliamentary majority, accelerated its attacks on the MRF as a subversive organization working for Turkey--a desperate effort to build new support among Bulgarians fearful of new foreign domination. In early 1992, the political situation left Turkish citizens with only partially restorated civil rights, and school boycotts were called in some areas where the use of Turkish remained restricted. On this issue, the Bulgarian court system, which had been a purely political institution under the Zhivkov regime, was unable or unwilling to fully exercise the independence granted the judiciary in the new constitution. This was partly because the new antidiscrimination language of that document had never before been tested and partly because of the lingering tradition of judicial dependency on political officials. Meanwhile, politicians generally treated the Turkish issue with great caution in 1991 and early 1992. Nationalist factions attacked the governing UDF for its legislative "alliance" with the MRF, suggesting that UDF compromises would jeopardize national security. These conditions lessened the likelihood that the National Assembly would finally attack and resolve the "national question." Bulgarian foreign policy also changed markedly in the years following 1989. As in domestic affairs, a strong body of opinion favored maintaining pre-1989 policy, in this case continuing to cultivate the Soviet Union as protector and economic benefactor. Actual policy sought a compromise that would not only change political relations but also ensure continued supply of raw materials, especially fuels. Negotiations with the Soviet government yielded promises of continued supply, but by 1991 the Soviet republics responsible for delivery were able to ignore the commitment. This situation deteriorated further when the Soviet Union dissolved into constituent republics in the fall of 1991. By January 1992, Bulgaria had established relations with Belarus, Russia, Ukraine, and the Baltic states in an effort to reestablish supply lines. In November 1991, Bulgaria joined a new economic association, East European Cooperation and Trade, formed by economic organizations in most of the former East European Comecon member countries, Russia, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine. The aim was to restore economic relations among those countries on a new basis. Nevertheless, worrisome signs indicated in early 1992 that Russia intended to maintain some of its traditional influence in Bulgaria. The longtime link of Bulgarian security agents with the KGB was believed reestablished in 1991; the Bulgarian government, loath to resume a role as a Russian intelligence outpost, was unable to identify the internal agents who might have been reactivated. Some of the new Russian foreign trade companies were believed to function as intelligence bases in Bulgaria. Russia also retained access to the high-frequency radio lines still used for secret Bulgarian diplomatic messages in the postcommunist era. And in spring 1992, Russia pressured Bulgaria to sign a friendship treaty prohibiting use of Bulgaria for "hostile acts" toward Russia--seen by Bulgarian officials as an open-ended permit for future intervention. A top foreign policy priority of the Dimitrov government was dismantling the bureaucracy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which was still dominated by BSP functionaries under Prime Minister Popov. Shortly after his appointment, Minister of Foreign Affairs Ganev secured the recall of several ineffectual senior diplomats. In early 1992, he reviewed the performance of all ministry personnel in order to streamline the organization and purge remaining members of Zhivkov's state security establishment, which had been notorious for conducting espionage from diplomatic outposts. Beginning in 1990, President Zheliu Zhelev and other Bulgarian officials met with Western officials to stress Bulgaria's commitment to economic and political reform and cement relations with the United States and the European Community (EC--see Glossary). The EC was the primary focus because Bulgarian policy makers saw acceptance into the new European federation as the best way to avoid isolation and hasten internal reform. With this goal in mind, top-level diplomatic attention was divided among many West European countries, while overtures to Eastern Europe declined noticeably. In late 1991, France, Germany, Greece, and Italy promised to support Bulgarian membership in the EC, although at that point at least seven countries were ahead of Bulgaria on the list of prospective EC members. In 1991 Bulgaria did achieve associate status in the EC, together with Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Poland. From the Western viewpoint, a stable Bulgaria offered a calming influence on the turbulent Balkans, where the disintegration of Yugoslavia in 1991 threatened to trigger wider conflict over ethnic and economic issues. Bulgaria viewed the Yugoslav crisis of the second half of 1991 as a serious threat to regional stability. Throughout the crisis, President Zhelev reiterated Bulgaria's policy of nonintervention and the right of self-determination for all people in Yugoslavia. This declaration was mainly to reduce accusations and fears in Serbia that Bulgaria had or would assume a direct role in weakening the Yugoslav Federation (now reduced to Serbia and Montenegro) to renew century-old claims on Macedonian territory. Zhelev's reassurances were also aimed at Greece, which feared annexation of its part of Macedonia into a state of Greater Macedonia. Following its advocacy of self-determination for Balkan states, Bulgaria recognized the four former Yugoslav secessionist republics, Bosnia and Hercegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, and Slovenia in the winter of 1991. In late 1991, Bulgaria strongly backed mediation of the conflict between Serbia and Croatia in Yugoslavia by the EC and the United Nations, and Bulgaria embargoed military supplies and arms bound for Yugoslavia. Meanwhile, relations with Turkey improved after the triumph of the UDF in the fall 1991 election. The UDF-MRF coalition pursued a treaty of friendship, cooperation, and security to match the treaty signed with Greece in October 1991. By early 1992, high-level military talks had substantially eased tension with Turkey, which maintained troops in Eastern Thrace close to the Bulgarian border. Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Ganev was seeking a trilateral summit meeting with Turkey and Greece to enhance regional security as well as a "mini-Helsinki" conference of Balkan states, to enhance regional security. Cultivation of Turkey had the strategic role of counterbalancing Greece and Serbia, two regional powers potentially allied against Bulgaria over the Macedonia issue in 1992. The overthrow of Zhivkov revealed a deep fascination in Bulgarian society with the culture and ideals of the United States, and a desire for closer relations. Although United States aid the Bulgaria remained quite small compared with aid given to Poland, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia in the early 1990s, high-level official contacts in that period were more friendly and frequent than ever before. President Zhelev stated Bulgaria's position very forcefully on two visits to Washington (1990 and 1991), and Prime Minister Dimitrov had a productive stay in March 1992 that gained a promise that the United States would accord Bulgaria the same aid status as the three major East European aid recipients. In November 1991, the United States officially granted Bulgaria most-favored-nation status. The demise of the Warsaw Pact in 1991 left Bulgaria without the military protection of the Soviet Union and its allies. To bolster its security position, Bulgaria obtained NATO assurances about Turkey's military ambitions and established a special relationship with NATO headquarters in 1991. Meanwhile, the Bulgarian military establishment underwent reforms comparable to those elsewhere in society. A central aim of the Dimitrov government was to bring the military under civilian control, to end the separate, elite status that followed the Soviet model, and to make the military an open institution integrated into society. An immediate stimulus for this reform was the role of national military establishments in Yugoslavia's bloody internal conflict and the failed coup in the Soviet Union in 1991. (The Bulgarian military took no part in any of the political turmoil of 1989-91.) The military depolitization decreed by the Bulgarian government in 1990 reduced BSP influence in the ranks, but, as in other phases of Bulgarian life, positions of power remained in the hands of reactionaries from the Zhivkov era. By the end of 1991, however, about 85 percent of generals active in 1989 had retired voluntarily or under pressure. The resignation resulted in a net reduction of ninety-three generals from a top-heavy officer corps. The military reform campaign also sought to lift the status of the military as a profession and to foster positive relations between the civilian and military communities. In 1992, however, the army experienced a shortage of officers because of its negative image in society. Arms and spare-part supply to the Bulgarian military suffered greatly when the overthrow of Zhivkov caused the Soviet Union to abandon long-term contracts. At the same time, the disproportionately large Bulgarian arms industry, a pillar of the centrally planned economy, was hit hard by the loss of its Soviet market. The new government limited the activities of Kintex, Bulgaria's notorious arms export agency, prohibiting sales to terrorists and totalitarian regimes. A long-term conversion program begun in October 1991 gave new civilian production assignments to many arms plants. The Bulgarian military had a long history of cooperation with its Soviet counterpart. Weapons systems, doctrine, and training were interchangeable throughout the postwar era, and the Bulgarian military relied on Soviet fuel supplies even more heavily than the civilian economy. The sudden end of the Soviet partnership in 1990, followed shortly by removal of the communist symbols and dogma that had supported military morale, caused considerable turbulence and confusion. New international responsibilities also affected the Bulgarian military establishment. To abide by the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe signed by the Warsaw Pact and NATO in 1990, Bulgaria also faced reductions in military manpower and armaments beginning in 1991. Bulgaria sought to retain the Soviet SS-23 missiles installed at an unknown date in the 1980s, however, on the grounds that they predated the relevant nuclear disarmament treaty and were vital to national defense. As the 1990s began, Bulgaria was in a completely new phase of national existence. For this phase to succeed, Bulgaria needed both a substantive new self-image and a believable new international posture. The postwar communist period had changed society by forcible industrialization and urbanization; those processes were accompanied by regimentation that suppressed cultural and economic individuality, and by isolation from influences and challenges outside the Soviet sphere. Then, in keeping with the wave of democratization that had swept most of Eastern Europe in 1989, Bulgaria made an abrupt about-face and began experimenting with democratic institutions in a manner unprecedented in the country's political history. After nearly fifty years of totalitarianism, and having had marginal success with democratic institutions prior to World War II, Bulgaria's experimentation was quite cautious at first. By 1992, however, a new generation of capable leaders had instilled impressive momentum in the transformation process. Although the slow pace of economic restructuring promised continued hardship, a large part of Bulgarian society was committed to reform, and hard-line revisionism and social unrest had declined in early 1992. Besides adapting Western-type political and economic institutions to unique domestic requirements, Bulgaria's most difficult task was to overcome its Cold-War image as an obscure and somewhat sinister nation whose total loyalty to the Soviet Union had led it to support terrorists and assassins. By 1992 progress in that direction was significant; Western approval raised Bulgaria's status closer to that of Poland, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia, the three former Soviet client states whose democratization had given them a head start toward integration into the fabric of Europe. As it strengthened its connections to the West in 1992, Bulgaria finally had an opportunity to develop social and political institutions appropriate to its needs under reduced pressure from large-power European politics. * * * In the months following completion of this manuscript, Bulgaria underwent serious political upheaval, and its economy failed to move toward reform nearly as fast as planners had hoped. The Dimitrov government elected in late 1991 showed early promise in promoting economic reform and democratization. By mid-1992, however, Dimitrov's leverage was reduced by shifting factions in his political coalition and by rising public skepticism that Bulgaria's painful reform program would yield a better standard of living. In 1992 Dimitrov's UDF coalition dominated political dialogue and enjoyed a narrow majority in the National Assembly. This position required that the coalition remain unified within itself and allied with the much smaller MRF. But in the second half of 1992, UDF policies increasingly alienated influential parts of Bulgarian society such as the Orthodox Church, parts of the media, trade unions, and private businessmen, creating an atmosphere of escalating confrontation. Meanwhile, the MRF was taking increasingly independent positions on many issues, seeking influence proportional to its importance in supporting the UDF. In October 1992, judging the UDF response inadequate, the MRF finally joined the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP; second-largest party in parliament) and dissident UDF members in a parliamentary vote of no confidence in the Dimitrov government. By destroying the Dimitrov coalition, the vote created another crisis period in which Bulgaria was unable to choose a government. Nearly two months later, Lyuben Berov, an unaffiliated economics professor, was approved as prime minister after both the UDF and the BSP had failed to form governments. The fate of the leading parties thus changed drastically at the end of 1992. The BSP, which had remained aloof from political struggle during the UDF's dominant period, found itself with the political influence of a parliamentary plurality as the new government took office. This happened in spite of the continued split between BSP conservatives allied with former communist party chief Aleksandur Lilov and the reformist branch of the party. Observers questioned whether the BSP would use its new influence to promote reform or to preserve the remaining Zhivkov-era party bastions in state industry and provincial government. In early 1993, BSP support of the Berov government was decidedly pragmatic, and experts saw a strong likelihood that support would be withdrawn (and the government automatically toppled) if policies displeased the BSP or if a new election would be advantageous. Meanwhile, the disparate membership of the UDF wrote another chapter in the acrimonious history of the coalition. The group again split formally when one faction of constituent parties formed a new coalition, the New Union for Democracy. Although Berov had pledged to continue the UDF reform program, UDF members of parliament refused all support for the Berov government. Relations between the UDF and its former allies in the MRF remained hostile. Several attempts at forming new coalitions and alliances failed for various reasons in early 1993. The most notable coalition was the Bulgarian Democratic Center, whose loss of two key member parties left a void in the center of the political spectrum. Besides the confusion of a fragmented political base, the Dimitrov government left unforeseen financial woes. According to one estimate, Bulgaria's internal debt doubled in 1992. The reasons were inflation (which reached 6.6 percent per month in early 1993), the Dmitrov government's concealing of budget deficits by withholding funds from certain industries, and government assumption of the debts of state companies. After the government had borrowed heavily from the Bulgarian National Bank to pay its debts, only an estimated 5 percent of domestic credit remained for private investment. Experts forecast the same figure for 1993, leaving no prospect of meaningful support for a larger private sector. In April 1993, Berov's coalition government was able to draft a budget bill containing the same deficit as in 1992, despite the debt left by Dimitrov. To do this, spending on education, health care, culture, and national defense were reduced significantly; the Ministry of National Defense would receive only half the money it requested. Nevertheless, the proposed deficit, 7.9 percent of the gross national product (see Glossary), caused concern among international lenders. Economic reform in 1992 had limited success. The amended land redistribution law passed in March 1992 effectively abolished collective farms; nominally, nearly 80 percent of Bulgaria's total arable land had been reclaimed by individual owners by midyear. Although the legislative machinery was in place, however, by mid- 1993 less than 20 percent of designated land had actually been restored, and Zhelev criticized the Berov government for neglecting this aspect of economic policy. In April 1993, farmers demonstrated in Sofia against inequities they perceived in the land law. The political crisis stopped vital privatization legislation in late 1992, delaying the pilot privatization of 100 companies. Berov had called privatization the top priority of his government when he took office, and subsequent adjustments were made in existing laws to make conversion easier. Nevertheless, almost no privatization activity took place in the first four months of 1993. In early 1993, President Zhelev recommended that privatization be delayed until a large-scale national program, similar to those used in the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland, could be prepared. Meanwhile, inefficient state industries went deep into recession, cancelling the effects of what had been a rather successful economic stabilization plan in 1991. International lenders, whose assistance was considered a vital ingredient in restructuring Bulgaria's economy, responded unevenly to the events of 1992. Lenders demanded faster progress toward a market system, but Bulgarian policy makers were wary of losing public support by further cutting state subsidies for social programs. In late 1992, Bulgaria agreed to repay part of the interest overdue to its international commercial creditors, as a good-faith step toward a 1993 debt settlement agreement. The additional expense, however, promised to exacerbate the budget deficit. Prospects for Bulgaria's commercial relations with Western Europe improved in late 1992 and early 1993. In March 1993, Bulgaria signed an agreement with the EC to establish a free-trade zone with that group over a ten-year transition period. A strong incentive for the Europeans was bolstering Bulgaria as a stabilizing influence in the chaotic Balkans. In an April resolution on its relations with Bulgaria, the European Parliament (legislative assembly of the EC) declared that no further guarantees of reform were needed because Bulgaria was on an irreversible line toward a market economy--a judgment likely encouraged by Balkan geopolitics. The new EC-Bulgarian accords were to go into effect in June 1993. In March 1993, Bulgaria also signed a free-trade agreement with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA). Although at that point only 3.5 percent of Bulgaria's exports went to EFTA member nations (Austria, Finland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland), the terms of the agreement made substantial expansion possible. Were the agreement ratified, 95 percent of Bulgarian industrial exports would have tariff-free access, while agricultural exports would be governed by bilateral arrangements. Besides the drive for inclusion in West European economic groupings, the primary issue of Bulgarian foreign policy in early 1993 was preventing expansion of the Yugoslav crisis. In keeping with its own consistent policy of nonintervention, Bulgaria warned the other Balkan states to refrain from military involvement that might return the entire region to the chaos that preceded World War I. Bulgaria opposed lifting the arms embargo on Bosnian Muslims, predicting that such a move would expand the conflict between Muslims and Serbs. Meanwhile, Bulgarian diplomats remained in constant contact with Greece and Turkey while reiterating Bulgarian support for the independence of all four former Yugoslav republics: Bosnia and Hercegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, and Slovenia. Berov traveled to Moscow in March to discuss the Balkan situation, trade, repayment of Russian debts to Bulgaria, and economic cooperation. No concrete decisions were made, although the representatives noted their nations' harmony on the Balkan question. In early 1993, Bulgaria confirmed, however, its intention to rely on Russia and Ukraine as primary military suppliers, choosing to maintain longstanding relations rather than incur the greater expense of refitting its forces with Western equipment. According to official Bulgarian statements, no security threat was perceived from instability in any former Soviet republic. Ethnic minority issues remained without solution in 1992, although no major open conflict resulted from continued tension between minorities and Bulgarian nationalists. Although 1992 human rights legislation improved the legal status of minorities, unemployment hit them especially hard, and as many as 40,000 Turks left Bulgaria in 1992. In the fall of 1992, the Roma (Gypsies) formed their first-ever national political organization in response to their dire economic conditions. Prime Minister Berov, whose government was nominally based on the ethnic-Turkish MRF, openly discussed pressure tactics used by both Turks and Bulgarian nationalists to influence ethnic self-identification in ethnically mixed regions. In 1993 those tactics still included campaigns against restoration of Turkish names (following Zhivkov's mass renaming campaign) and against use of Turkish in schools with Turkish populations, as well as forcible Turkicization of Bulgarian Muslims preferring to live as Bulgarians. Berov pledged to prevent human rights abuses on both sides, but little concrete change occurred in the first half of 1993. Bulgaria began the fourth year of the post-Zhivkov era with prospects less optimistic than in the previous years. The momentum of economic reform was slowed significantly by continued high unemployment, rising inflation, low productivity, the resistance of Zhivkov-era holdovers in large state industries, and, increasingly, the cynicism of the Bulgarian public toward the usefulness of short-term sacrifice on the road to a market economy. The ominously growing shadow of the former Bulgarian Communist Party hung over the country, whose political system again collapsed into chaos in late 1992. International prospects seemed somewhat better, mainly because Bulgaria's designated role as a Balkan island of stability prompted increased Western support even when internal political and economic conditions failed to match Western expectations. But in 1993, the road from communism was proving much more rocky than most Bulgarians had anticipated; for many Bulgarians, living standards were lower than under the Zhivkov regime, and the patience of many was wearing thin.
Historical Setting
Bulgaria Historical Setting THE HISTORY OF THE LAND now known as Bulgaria has been determined by its location between Asia and Europe, by its proximity to powerful states competing for land and influence at the junction of trade routes and strategic military positions, and by the strong national territorial drive of various Bulgarian states. Before the Christian era, Greece and Rome conquered the region and left substantial imprints on the culture of the people they found there. The Bulgar tribes, who arrived in the seventh century from west of the Urals, have occupied the region continuously for thirteen centuries. Over time Bulgarian culture merged with that of the more numerous Slavs, who had preceded the Bulgars by one century. After converting to Christianity and adopting a Slavic language in the ninth century, the Bulgarians consolidated a distinct Slavic culture that subsequently passed through periods of both expansionist independence and subordination to outside political systems. From the ninth until the fourteenth century, Bulgaria was a dominant force in the Balkans because of its aggressive military tradition and strong sense of national identity. The chief rival and neighbor, the Byzantine Empire, left a lasting political imprint on two Bulgarian empires as it competed with them for regional domination. Marking the deterioration of both the Byzantine and the Bulgarian political structures, the fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Turks in 1453 began four centuries of Turkish suppression of Bulgarian cultural and political institutions. By the eighteenth century, however, weakening Ottoman control allowed a Bulgarian cultural revival. In the next century, Western political ideas gradually combined with the reborn Bulgarian national consciousness to form an independence movement. The movement was complicated by internal disagreement on aims and methods, the increasing weakness of the Ottoman foothold in Europe, and the conflicting attitudes of the major European powers toward Bulgaria. Russia gained distinction as Bulgaria's protector by driving out the Turks in 1877, but France and Britain curbed Russian power in the Balkans by forcing establishment of a limited autonomous Bulgarian state under Turkish rule. The instrument of that limitation, the Treaty of Berlin, revived longstanding Bulgarian territorial frustrations by placing the critical regions of Macedonia and Thrace beyond Bulgarian control. Both of those disputed regions had substantial Bulgarian populations. During the next sixty years, Bulgaria would fight unsuccessfully in four wars, in a variety of alliances, to redress the grievance. None of the four wars brought substantial new territory to Bulgaria. Beginning in 1878, Bulgaria was nominally ruled by members of West European royal houses under a parliamentary form of government. Prime Minister Stefan Stambolov unified the country during its first decade, but extremist political parties exerted substantial influence from the beginning. Between 1878 and the declaration of full independence in 1908, Bulgaria passed through a period of peaceful modernization with expansion in industry, science, education, and the arts. Modernization and industrialization sowed the seeds of class conflict, however, nurturing strong socialist and agrarian opposition parties in the decades that followed independence. The period between 1912 and 1944 was full of irredentist wars and internal political turmoil. By 1900 Serbia and Greece were the major territorial rivals, but a World War I alliance with Germany gained Bulgaria little advantage over them. After the war, the agrarian reform government of Aleksandur Stamboliiski had failed to unite the country by 1923. The series of unstable factions and forms of government that followed Stamboliiski was broken only by Bulgaria's participation as an Axis ally in World War II. Again no territory was gained, but World War II brought Soviet occupation, the end of the monarchy, and forty-one years of unbroken communist rule beginning in 1948. During that entire period, Bulgaria was the closest East European imitator of Soviet internal and foreign policy. The years 1948 through 1989 were a time of collectivization, heavy industrialization, drastic restriction of human rights, and close adherence to Soviet Cold-War policy.
Pre-Bulgarian Civilizations
Bulgaria EARLY SETTLEMENT AND EMPIRE The land now known as Bulgaria attracted human settlement as early as the Bronze Age. Almost from the first, however, existing civilizations were challenged by powerful neighbors. Pre-Bulgarian Civilizations The first known civilization to dominate the territory of present-day Bulgaria was that of the Thracians, an Indo-European group. Although politically fragmented, Thracian society is considered to have been comparable to that of Greece in the arts and economics; these achievements reached a peak in the sixth century B.C. Because of political disunity, however, Thrace then was successively occupied and divided by the Greeks, the Persians, the Macedonians, and the Romans. After the decline of the Macedonian Empire of Alexander the Great, a new Thracian kingdom emerged in the third century B.C. Occupied by the Romans, it remained a kingdom within the Roman Empire until the emperor Vespasian incorporated it as a district in the first century A.D. Roman domination brought orderly administration and the establishment of Serditsa (on the site of modern Sofia) as a major trading center in the Balkans. In the fourth century A.D., when the Roman Empire split between Rome and Constantinople, Thrace became part of the Eastern, or Byzantine, Empire. Christianity was introduced to the region at this time. Both the Latin culture of Rome and the Greek culture of Constantinople remained strong influences on ensuing civilizations.
Slavs and Bulgars
Bulgaria The Slavs and the Bulgars Waves of Huns, Goths, Visigoths, and Ostrogoths invaded and plundered the Balkans beginning in the third century A.D. None of these invaders permanently occupied territory. Small Slavic groups began settling outlying regions in the fifth century, and by the seventh century the Slavs had overcome Byzantine resistance and settled most of the Balkans. The Slavs brought a more stable culture, retained their own language, and substantially slavicized the existing Roman and Byzantine social system. The immigration of the first Bulgars overlapped that of the Slavs in the seventh century. Of mixed Turkic stock (the word Bulgar derives from an Old Turkic word meaning "one of mixed nationality"), the Bulgars were warriors who had migrated from a region between the Urals and the Volga to the steppes north of the Caspian Sea, then across the Danube into the Balkans. Besides a formidable reputation as military horsemen, the Bulgars had a strong political organization based on their khan (prince). In A.D. 630 a federation of Bulgar tribes already existed; in the next years the Bulgars united with the Slavs to oppose Byzantine control. By 681 the khan Asparukh had forced Emperor Constantine V to recognize the first Bulgarian state. The state, whose capital was at Pliska, near modern Shumen, combined a Bulgarian political structure with Slavic linguistic and cultural institutions.
First Golden Age
Bulgaria The First Golden AgeThe First Bulgarian Empire was able to defeat the Byzantine Empire in 811 and expand its territory eastward to the Black Sea, south to include Macedonia, and northwest to present-day Belgrade (see fig. 2). The kingdom reached its greatest size under Tsar Simeon (893-927), who presided over a golden age of artistic and commercial expansion. After moving deep into Byzantine territory, Simeon was defeated in 924. Meanwhile, Rome and Byzantium competed for political and cultural influence in Bulgaria. The Eastern Empire won in 870 when Bulgaria accepted Eastern Rite (Orthodox) Christianity and an autocephalous Bulgarian Church was established. This decision opened Bulgaria to Byzantine culture (and territorial ambitions) through the literary language devised for the Slavs by the Orthodox monks Cyril and Methodius. Establishment of a common, official religion also permanently joined the Bulgarian and Slavic cultures. After reaching its peak under Simeon, the First Bulgarian Empire declined in the middle of the tenth century. Byzantine opposition and internal weakness led to a loss of territory to the Magyars and the Russians. Bulgaria remained economically dependent on the Byzantine Empire, and the widespread Bogomil heresy (see Glossary) opposed the secular Bulgarian state and its political ambitions as work of the devil. Seeking to restore a balance of power in the Balkans, the Byzantines allied with the Kievan Russians under Yaroslav and invaded Bulgaria several times in the late tenth century. Although the Bulgarians expanded their territory again briefly under Tsar Samuil at the end of the tenth century, in 1014 the Byzantines under Basil II inflicted a major military loss. By 1018 all of Bulgaria was under Byzantine control. For nearly two centuries, the Byzantines ruled harshly, using taxes and the political power of the church to crush opposition. The first and second Crusades passed through Bulgaria in this period, devastating the land.
Second Golden Age
Bulgaria The Second Golden AgeBy 1185 the power of the Byzantine Empire again waned because of external conflicts. The noble brothers Asen and Peter led a revolt that forced Byzantine recognition of an autonomous Bulgarian state. Centered at Turnovo (present-day Veliko Turnovo), this state became the Second Bulgarian Empire. Like the First Bulgarian Empire, the second expanded at the expense of a preoccupied Byzantine Empire. In 1202 Tsar Kaloian (1197-1207) concluded a final peace with Byzantium that gave Bulgaria full independence. Kaloian also drove the Magyars from Bulgarian territory and in 1204 concluded a treaty with Rome that consolidated Bulgaria's western border by recognizing the authority of the pope. By the middle of the thirteenth century, Bulgaria again ruled from the Black Sea to the Adriatic. Access to the sea greatly increased commerce, especially with the Italian Peninsula. Turnovo became the center of Bulgarian culture, which enjoyed a second golden age. The final phase of Bulgaria's second Balkan dominance was the reign of Kaloian's successor, Ivan Asen II (1218-41; see fig. 3). In this period, culture continued to flourish, but political instability again threatened. After the death of Ivan Asen II, internal and external political strife intensified. Sensing weakness, the Tatars began sixty years of raids in 1241, the Byzantines retook parts of the Second Bulgarian Empire, and the Magyars again advanced. From 1257 until 1277, aristocratic factions fought for control of the Bulgarian throne. Heavy taxation by feudal landlords caused their peasants to revolt in 1277 and enthrone the "swineherd tsar" Ivailo. After 1300 Tatar control ended, and a new period of expansion followed under Mikhail Shishman (1323-1330) and Ivan Aleksandur (1331-1370). As before, however, military and commercial success paralleled internal disorder; the social chaos of the previous century continued to erode the power of Bulgarian leaders. Meanwhile, Serbia had risen as a formidable rival in the Balkans, and the Ottoman Turks had advanced to the Aegean coast. In the late fourteenth century, Bulgaria was weakened by the division of its military defenses between the two perceived threats.
Introduction of the Ottoman System
Bulgaria Introduction of the Ottoman SystemOttoman forces captured the commercial center of Sofia in 1385. Serbia, then the strongest Christian power in the Balkans, was decisively defeated by the Ottomans at the Battle of Kosovo Polje in 1389, leaving Bulgaria divided and exposed. Within ten years, the last independent Bulgarian outpost was captured. Bulgarian resistance continued until 1453, when the capture of Constantinople gave the Ottomans a base from which to crush local uprisings. In consolidating its Balkan territories, the new Ottoman political order eliminated the entire Bulgarian state apparatus. The Ottomans also crushed the nobility as a landholding class and potential center of resistance. The new rulers reorganized the Bulgarian church, which had existed as a separate patriarchate since 1235, making it a diocese under complete control of the Byzantine Patriarchate at Constantinople. The sultan, in turn, totally controlled the patriarchate. The Ottomans ruled with a centralized system much different from the scattered local power centers of the Second Bulgarian Empire. The single goal of Ottoman policy in Bulgarian territory was to make all local resources available to extend the empire westward toward Vienna and across northern Africa. Landed estates were given in fiefdom to knights bound to serve the sultan. Peasants paid multiple taxes to both their masters and the government. Territorial control also meant cultural and religious assimilation of the populace into the empire. Ottoman authorities forcibly converted the most promising Christian youths to Islam and trained them for government service. Called pomaks, such converts often received special privileges and rose to high administrative and military positions. The Ottoman system also recognized the value of Bulgarian artisans, who were organized and given limited autonomy as a separate class. Some prosperous Bulgarian peasants and merchants became intermediaries between local Turkish authorities and the peasants. In this capacity, these chorbadzhi (squires) were able to moderate Ottoman policy. On the negative side, the Ottoman assimilation policy also included resettlement of Balkan Slavs in Asia Minor and immigration of Turkish peasants to farm Bulgarian land. Slavs also were the victims of mass enslavement and forcible mass conversion to Islam in certain areas.
Bulgarian Society under the Turks
Bulgaria Bulgarian Society under the TurksTraditional Bulgarian culture survived only in the smaller villages during the centuries of Ottoman rule. Because the administrative apparatus of the Ottoman Empire included officials of many nationalities, commerce in the polyglot empire introduced Jews, Armenians, Dalmatians, and Greeks into the chief population centers. Bulgarians in such centers were forcibly resettled as part of a policy to scatter the potentially troublesome educated classes. The villages, however, were often ignored by the centralized Ottoman authorities, whose control over the Turkish landholders often exerted a modifying influence that worked to the advantage of the indigenous population. Village church life also felt relatively little impact from the centralized authority of the Greek Orthodox Church. Therefore, between the fourteenth and seventeenth centuries, the villages became isolated repositories of Bulgarian folk culture, religion, social institutions, and language.
Early Decay and Upheaval in the Empire
Bulgaria Early Decay and Upheaval in the Empire Source: Based on information from Ilcho Dimitrov (ed.), Kratka istoriia na Bulgariia, Sofia, 1981, 153; and Hermann Kinder and Werner Hilgemann, The Anchor Atlas of World History, 1, Garden City, New York, 1974, 208. Notable Bulgarian uprisings against the Ottomans occurred in the 1590s, the 1680s and the 1730s; all sought to take advantage of external crises of the empire, and all were harshly suppressed. Beginning in the 1600s, local bandits, called hajduti (sing., hajdutin), led small uprisings (see fig. 4). Some writers now describe these uprisings as precursors of a Bulgarian nationalist movement. Most scholars agree, however, that hajdutin activities responded only to local misrule and their raids victimized both Christians and Muslims. Whatever their motivation, hajdutin exploits became a central theme of national folk culture. By 1600 the Ottoman Empire had reached the peak of its power and territorial control. In the seventeenth century, the empire began to collapse; the wealth of conquest had spread corruption through the political system, vitiating the ability of the central government to impose order throughout the farflung empire. For the majority of people in agricultural Bulgaria, centralized Ottoman control had been far from intolerable while the empire was orderly and strong. But the growing despotism of local authorities as the central government declined created a new class of victims. Increasingly, Bulgarians welcomed the progressive Western political ideas that reached them through the Danube trade and travel routes. Already in the 1600s, Catholic missionaries in western Bulgaria had stimulated creation of literature about Bulgaria's national past. Although the Turks suppressed this Western influence after the Chiprovets uprising of 1688, the next century brought an outpouring of historical writings reminding Bulgarian readers of a glorious national heritage.
NATIONAL REVIVAL
Bulgaria NATIONAL REVIVAL, EARLY STAGESFor Bulgaria the eighteenth century brought transition from static subservience within a great Asian empire toward intellectual and political modernization and reestablishment of cultural ties with Western Europe. The monasteries of an increasingly independent Bulgarian church fostered national thought and writing; Western influences altered the nature of commerce and landholding in the Balkans; and the forcible assimilation of Bulgarian culture into a cosmopolitan Asian society ended, allowing Bulgarian national consciousness to reawaken. At the same time, social anarchy inhibited the liberation process. These developments set the stage for a full national revival.
Written Word
Bulgaria The Written WordIn the eighteenth century, all Slavic cultures moved away from the formal Old Church Slavonic language that had dominated their literatures for centuries. The literary language that emerged was much closer to the common vernacular, eventually making books accessible to a much wider readership. In 1741 Hristofor Zhefarovich published his Stematografia, a discussion of the cultural history of the Serbs and the Bulgarians. The book displayed the Bulgarian coat of arms and praised the glorious past of the Bulgarian people. In 1762 Father Paisi of Hilendar wrote a history of the Bulgarian peoples in a mixture of Old Church Slavonic and vernacular language. Circulated in manuscript form for nearly one hundred years, the book was a lively, readable celebration of the Bulgarian past and a call for all Bulgarians to remember their heritage and cultivate their native language. Paisi's history inspired generations of writings on Bulgarian patriotic themes. In part, its influence was strong because Paisi wrote at the monastery of Mt. Athos, the largest spiritual center in the Balkans and an early receptacle of ideas of the European Enlightenment (see Glossary). Paisi's follower Sofronii Vrachanski further developed the literature by using a much more vernacular language to advance secular ideas of the Enlightenment in translations of Greek myths and his original Life and Tribulations of the Sinner Sofronii. Sofronii also published the first printed book in Bulgaria in 1806.
Commerce and Western Influences
Bulgaria Commerce and Western InfluencesUnder the Ottoman Empire, the Mediterranean and Asian trade routes met in Bulgaria. Fairs and regional markets eventually brought tradesmen into contact with their foreign counterparts. After centuries of exclusion from population centers by Turkish policy, Bulgarians began migrating back to the towns, establishing an urban ethnic presence. By the eighteenth century, trade guilds included many workers in cloth, metal, wood, and decorative braid. The estate holders of Macedonia also profited from growing European cotton markets. Some Bulgarian merchants assumed positions as intermediaries between Turkish and European markets, grew rich from such connections, and established offices in the major European capitals. As the Bulgarian cultural revival spread from the monasteries into secular society, these newly wealthy groups promoted secular art, architecture, literature, and Western ideals of individual freedom and national consciousness. Of particular impact were the ideals of the French Revolution, introduced through commercial connections at the start of the nineteenth century. The end of centralized Ottoman power over Bulgarian territory brought several decades of anarchy, called the kurdzhaliistvo, at the end of the eighteenth century. As at the end of the Second Bulgarian Empire four hundred years before, local freebooters controlled small areas, tyrannized the population, and fought among themselves. Political order was not reestablished in Bulgaria until 1820. Meanwhile, large population shifts occurred as Bulgarians fled the taxation and violence inflicted by this anarchic condition; the new communities they founded in Romania and southern Russia were important sources of cultural and political ideas in the nineteenth century. The Bulgarian national revival took place in the larger context of Christian resistance to Turkish occupation of Eastern and Central Europe--a cause whose momentum increased as the Ottoman Empire crumbled from within. Russia fought a series of wars with the Turks between 1676 and 1878, and was given the right to protect Christians living under Ottoman rule in treaties signed in 1774 and 1791. Those treaties granted semiautonomy to the Romanian regions of Wallachia and Moldavia, which gave hope that Russia might provide similar help to Bulgaria during the kurdzhaliistvo. Intellectual ties between Bulgaria and Russia promoted the adoption of Russian revolutionary thought along with Western influences. In 1804 Sofronii offered the help of the entire Bulgarian people to Russian armies fighting the Turks and moving toward Bulgarian territory. By 1811 a special volunteer army of several thousand Bulgarians had been formed, in the hope that Russian success against the Turks would liberate Bulgaria. Although the Russians did not aid the Bulgarians directly at that time, Russia remained crucial to Bulgarian foreign relations from that time to the late twentieth century.
European and Russian Policies
Bulgaria European and Russian Policies, 1800 By 1800 the Ottoman Empire was universally labeled "The Sick Man of Europe." The empire was precariously near total collapse and ready to be dismantled by a powerful neighbor, just as the Byzantine Empire had been dismantled by the Ottomans. In this case the logical successor was Russia, an expanding empire with strong religious and cultural ties to the captive Slavic groups. Russia also had a continuing desire to achieve access to the Mediterranean Sea. Russian military power reached its peak with the defeat of Napoleon's invading army in 1812, but throughout the nineteenth century France and Britain used diplomatic and military means to counterbalance Russian influence in the Balkans and the Bosporus. This implicit defense of the Ottoman Empire delayed Bulgarian independence, but the intellectual basis of revolution grew rapidly in the nineteenth century.
Revolution in the Balkans
Bulgaria THE BULGARIAN INDEPENDENCE MOVEMENT Revolution in the BalkansIn 1804 Serbia began a series of uprisings that won it autonomy within the Ottoman Empire by 1830. Especially in the campaigns of 1804 and 1815, many Bulgarians in areas adjacent to Serbia fought beside the Serbs. When the Greeks revolted against Turkish rule in 1821, Bulgarian towns provided money and soldiers. Several hundred Bulgarians fought in the six-year Greek uprising, some of them as commanders, and some became part of the government of independent Greece. Bulgarians also fought the Turks in Crete, with the Italian revolutionary Giuseppe Garibaldi, and in other nationalist uprisings against the Habsburgs in 1848-49. In spite of Bulgarian sympathy for national liberation movements nearby, and although the ideals of those movements permeated the Balkans from 1804 on, the anarchy of the early 1800s confined expression of Bulgarian national feeling primarily to the cultural realm until the 1860s.
Cultural Expressions of Nationalism
Bulgaria Cultural Expressions of NationalismIn 1824 Dr. Petur Beron, a member of the Bulgarian emigrant community in Romania, published the first primer in colloquial Bulgarian. His book also explained a new system of secular education to replace the outdated precepts of monastery pedagogy, and Beron's suggestions strongly influenced the development of Bulgarian education in the nineteenth century. In 1835 a school was opened in Gabrovo according to Beron's design. Under direction of the monk Neofit Rilski, it was the first school to teach in Bulgarian. Similar schools opened in the ensuing years, and in 1840 the first school for girls opened in Pleven. Education grew especially fast in trading towns such as Koprivshtitsa and Kalofer in the foothills of the Balkans, where textiles and other trades created a wealthy merchant class. In the 1840s, the first generation of Western-educated Bulgarians returned home. Forming a cosmopolitan intelligentsia, they diversified and expanded Bulgarian schools in the following decades. In the first half of the 1800s, special educational and cultural ties developed with Russia and France. In 1840 the Russian government began awarding grants for Bulgarian students to study in Russia. The total number of students in the Russian program was never high, but several graduates were leaders in the independence drive of the 1870s. Several notable Bulgarians of that generation also were educated in France and at Robert College, founded as a missionary institution in Constantinople. Parallel with educational advancement, Bulgarian book printing advanced substantially after 1830. Before that date only seventeen original Bulgarian titles had been printed; but by mid-century, printing had replaced manuscript copying as the predominant means of distributing the written word. The first periodical was printed in Bulgarian in 1844, beginning an outpouring of mostly ephemeral journals through the nineteenth century. Censorship before 1878 meant that the majority of such journals were printed in the Romanian emigrant centers, outside the Ottoman Empire. Most Bulgarian-language periodicals printed within the empire came from Constantinople, showing the cultural importance of that city to the Bulgarian National Revival. After 1850 Bulgarian йmigrй periodicals, supporting a wide variety of political views toward the national independence movement, played a vital role in stimulating Bulgarian political consciousness. In the mid-1800s, a number of cultural and charitable organizations founded in Constantinople supported and directed Bulgarian national institutions that resisted Ottoman and Greek influence. The social institution of the chitalishte (literally "reading room") played an important cultural role beginning in 1856. Established in population centers by adult education societies, the chitalishte was a center for social gatherings, lectures, performances, and debates. Because it was available to the entire public, this institution spread national cultural and political ideals beyond the intelligentsia to the larger society. By 1878 there were 131 such centers. The Bulgarian National Revival also stimulated the arts in the nineteenth century. Dobri Chintulov wrote the first poetry in modern Bulgarian in the 1840s, pioneering a national literary revival that peaked in the 1870s. Translation of Western European and Russian literature accelerated, providing new influences that broke centuries of rigid formalism. Painting and architecture now also broke from the prescribed forms of Byzantine church art to express secular and folk themes. Bulgarian wood-carving and church singing assumed the forms that survive today.
Religious Independence
Bulgaria Religious IndependenceThe Bulgarian church achieved new independence in the nineteenth century. The Ottoman Empire had left the Bulgarian church hierarchy under the Greek Patriarchate of Constantinople for four centuries, disregarding the differences between the two Orthodox churches. (The last separate Bulgarian church jurisdiction, the archbishopric of Ohrid, was absorbed in 1767.) Early in the 1800s, few of the Bulgarian church leaders most closely connected with Enlightenment ideas sought separation from the Greek Orthodox Church. But in 1839, a movement began against the Greek Metropolitan of Turnovo, head of the largest Bulgarian diocese, in favor of local control. In 1849 the active Bulgarian community of Constantinople began pressing Turkish officials for church sovereignty. Other large Bulgarian dioceses both inside and outside Bulgaria sought a return to liturgy in the vernacular and appointment of Bulgarian bishops. The first concession came in 1848, when the Greek patriarch of Constantinople allowed one Bulgarian church in that city. Because a decade of petitions, demonstrations, and Ottoman reform suggestions had brought no major change, in 1860 Bishop Ilarion Makariopolski of Constantinople declared his diocese independent of the Greek patriarchate. This action began a movement for ecclesiastical independence that united rural and urban Bulgarians and began a bitter Greek-Bulgarian dispute. The Turks and the Russians began to mediate in 1866, seeking a compromise that would ensure the security of each in the face of increasing regional unrest. In 1870 the Ottoman sultan officially declared the Bulgarian church a separate exarchate. The Greek patriarchate, which never recognized the separation, excommunicated the entire Bulgarian church; but the symbolism of the Ottoman decree had powerful political effect. The new exarchate became the leading force in Bulgarian cultural life; it officially represented the Bulgarians in dealing with the Turks, and it sponsored Bulgarian schools. The novel administrative system of the exarchate called for lay representation in governing bodies, thus introducing a note of self-government into this most visible institution.
Early Insurrections
Bulgaria Early InsurrectionsThe social and cultural events of the National Revival moved parallel to important political changes. Bulgarian aid to the Russians in the Russo-Turkish wars of 1806-12 and 1828-29 did nothing to loosen Ottoman control. Then the Ottoman Empire ruthlessly quelled major Bulgarian uprisings in 1835 (in Turnovo), 1841 (in Nis), and in 1850-51 (in Vidin). Those uprisings still bore the disorganized qualities of the hajduti, but, together with smaller movements in intervening years, they established a tradition of insurrection for the next generation. Meanwhile, beset by European enemies and internal revolutions, the Turks entered a reform period in 1826. They replaced the elite but increasingly untrustworthy Janissary forces with a regular army and officially abolished the feudal land system. These changes reduced oppression by the local Turkish rulers in Bulgaria. In the 1830s, Sultan Mahmud II recentralized and reorganized his government to gain control over his corrupt officials and follow European administrative models. Although these changes had little direct effect on Bulgaria, they clearly signaled to the Slavic subjects of the empire that reform was now possible.
Balkan Politics of the Mid-Nineteenth Century
Bulgaria Balkan Politics of the Mid-Nineteenth CenturyBy 1850 the emerging Bulgarian nationalist movement had split into two distinct branches. The moderates, concentrated in Constantinople, favored gradual improvement of conditions in Bulgaria through negotiations with the Turkish government. This was the approach that created a separate Bulgarian exarchate in 1870. This group believed that the protection of the Ottoman Empire was necessary because a free Bulgaria would be subject to Balkan politics and great-power manipulation. The radical faction, however, saw no hope of gradual reform. Following their understanding of European liberal tradition and Russian revolutionary thought, the leaders of this faction aimed first for liberation from all outside controls. Liberation, they believed, would automatically lead to complete modernization of Bulgarian society. The crushing of the large-scale Vidin peasant revolt in 1851 brought intervention by Britain and France, who bolstered and protected the Ottoman Empire throughout the nineteenth century as a counterweight to Russian expansion. To prevent destabilizing unrest, Britain and France forced the Turks to introduce land reform in western Bulgaria in the early 1850s and a series of major social reforms in 1856 and 1876. Nominally, those measures included equal treatment for non-Muslims in the empire and parliamentary representation for Bulgarians and Serbs. These changes, however, were the cosmetic product of Turkey's need for Western support in major wars with Russia. They did nothing to blunt the nationalist drive of the Bulgarian radicals.
First Independence Organizations
Bulgaria The First Independence OrganizationsIn 1862 Georgi Rakovski assembled the first armed group of Bulgarians having the avowed goal of achieving independence from the Ottoman Empire. Rakovski, well-educated and experienced in the 1841 uprising and the drive for ecclesiastical independence, envisioned a federal republic including all Balkan nations except Greece. His fighters were to stir a full-scale national uprising after crossing into Bulgaria from assembly points in Romania and Serbia. But the Serbs, who had supported the Bulgarians while they were useful in opposing the Turks, disbanded the Bulgarian legions in Serbia when they no longer served that purpose. Although Rakovski died in 1867 without achieving Bulgarian independence, he united the йmigrй intelligentsia, and the presence of his army influenced Turkish recognition of the Bulgarian church in 1870. The Bulgarian Secret Central Committee, founded by йmigrй Bulgarians in Bucharest in 1866, continued Rakovski's mission under the leadership of Vasil Levski and Liuben Karavelov. These ideologues refined Rakovski's idea of armed revolutionary groups, creating a cadre of intellectuals who would prepare the people to rise for independence. Beginning in 1868, Levski founded the first revolutionary committees in Bulgaria. Captured by the Turks, he became a national hero when he was hanged in 1873. In 1870 Karavelov founded the Bulgarian Revolutionary Central Committee (BRCC) in Bucharest. The death of Levski temporarily shattered the group, but the committee resumed its activities when Georgi Benkovski joined its leadership in 1875. By this time, the political atmosphere of the Balkans was charged with revolution, and the Ottoman Empire looked increasingly vulnerable. Britain, Russia, and Austria-Hungary were growing concerned about the implications of those trends for the European balance of power. In 1875 Bosnia and Hercegovina revolted successfully against the Turks, and the next year Serbia and Montenegro attacked the Ottoman Empire.
The Final Move to Independence
Bulgaria The Final Move to Independence In the early 1870s, the BRCC had built an intricate revolutionary organization, recruiting thousands of ardent patriots for the liberation struggle. Finally, in 1875 the committee believed that external distractions had weakened the Ottoman Empire enough to activate that struggle. Local revolutionary committees in Bulgaria attempted to coordinate the timing and strategy of a general revolt. Armed groups were to enter Bulgaria from abroad to support local uprisings, and diversionary attacks on Ottoman military installations were planned. Despite these efforts at coordination, the BRCC strategy failed. Although planned as a general revolt, the September Uprising of 1875 occurred piecemeal in isolated locations, and several local revolutionary leaders failed to mobilize any forces. The Turks easily suppressed the uprising, but the harshness of their response attracted the attention of Western Europe; from that time, the fate of Bulgaria became an international issue. Following the failure of the September Uprising, Benkovski reorganized the BRCC and made plans for a new revolt. The April Uprising of 1876 was more widespread, but it also suffered from poor coordination. Poor security allowed the Turks to locate and destroy many local groups before unified action was possible. Massacres at Batak and other towns further outraged international opinion by showing the insincerity of recent Turkish reform proposals. The deaths of an estimated 30,000 Bulgarians in these massacres spurred the Bulgarian national movement. An international conference in Constantinople produced proposals to curb the Muslim fanaticism responsible for the Bulgarian massacres and give local self-government to the Christians on European territory in the empire. Two autonomous Bulgarian regions were proposed, one centered at Sofia and the other at Turnovo. When the sultan rejected the reforms, Russia declared war unilaterally in early 1877. This was Russia's golden opportunity to gain control of Western trade routes to its southwest and finally destroy the empire that had blocked this ambition for centuries. Shocked by the Turkish massacres, Britain did not oppose Russian advances.
San Stefano,Berlin and Independence
Bulgaria San Stefano, Berlin and Independence In eight months, Russian troops occupied all of Bulgaria and reached Constantinople. At this high point of its influence on Balkan affairs, Russia dictated the Treaty of San Stefano in March 1878. This treaty provided for an autonomous Bulgarian state (under Russian protection) almost as extensive as the First Bulgarian Empire, bordering the Black and Aegean seas. But Britain and Austria-Hungary, believing that the new state would extend Russian influence too far into the Balkans, exerted strong diplomatic pressure that reshaped the Treaty of San Stefano four months later into the Treaty of Berlin. The new Bulgaria would be about onethird the size of that prescribed by the Treaty of San Stefano; Macedonia and Thrace, south of the Balkans, would revert to complete Ottoman control. The province of Eastern Rumelia would remain under Turkish rule, but with a Christian governor (see fig. 5). Whereas the Treaty of San Stefano called for two years of Russian occupation of Bulgaria, the Treaty of Berlin reduced the time to nine months. Both treaties provided for an assembly of Bulgarian notables to write a constitution for their new country. The assembly would also elect a prince who was not a member of a major European ruling house and who would recognize the authority of the Ottoman sultan. In cases of civil disruption, the sultan retained the right to intervene with armed force. The final provisions for Bulgarian liberation fell far short of the goals of the national liberation movement. Large populations of Bulgarians remained outside the new nation in Macedonia, Eastern Rumelia, and Thrace, causing resentment that endured well into the next century. (Bulgarians still celebrate the signing of the Treaty of San Stefano rather than the Treaty of Berlin as their national independence day.) In late 1878, a provisional Bulgarian government and armed uprisings had already surfaced in the Kresna and Razlog regions of Macedonia. These uprisings were quelled swiftly by the Turks with British support. During the next twenty-five years, large numbers of Bulgarians fled Macedonia into the new Bulgaria, and secret liberation societies appeared in Macedonia and Thrace. One such group, the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (IMRO), continued terrorist activities in the Balkans into the 1930s.
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