On 9 April, the Council of Ministers and the Ministry of Economy, Energy and Tourism received a confirmation from the European Commission for the beginning of check of the Bulgarian energy sector. The examination is starting next week. It will be led by representatives of the Directorate General "Energy" of the EC.
The experts will review the legislative framework and the structural components of the Bulgarian energy sector. The objective is to identify the most important problems in the sector. In its ongoing EC experts will hold bilateral meetings with teams of MEET and the State Energy and Water Regulatory Commission and managers of large companies in the energy sector. The inspection will focus on the following key topics:
- the national regulatory authority, its conduct, power and independence;
- the Bulgarian Energy Holding and its position on the Bulgarian energy market;
- the design and operation of the national electricity market;
- the design and operation of the national gas market taking into account diversification and indigenous gas production;
- energy prices and pricing mechanisms.
The check was agreed during the visit of the Prime Minister Marin Raykov, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Ekaterina Zaharieva and the Minister of Economy, Energy and Tourism Assen Vassilev in Brussels.