site.btaParliament Votes to Have Say in Mini Maritsa Iztok’s Real Estate Transactions

State bodies cannot carry out certain actions on the territory of Mini Maritsa Iztok coal mining company without a decision of the National Assembly, the Parliament decided on Thursday with 196 votes in favour and 11 against. The decision was supported by all parliamentary groups, except the members of There Is Such a People (TISP).

Radoslav Ribarski of Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) proposed a provision that state bodies shall not take certain actions without a decision of the National Assembly on the proposal of the Minister of Energy. This amendment was adopted by 140 votes to 68. If it comes to disposing of Mines Maritsa East's real estate, this will have to be decided in the National Assembly and subjected to public discussion, he explained.

Without a parliamentary decision, state bodies will not be able to carry out disposition transactions with real estate owned by Mini Maritsa Iztok, or with state or municipal real estate falling within the scope of the concession area under the concession agreement signed between the Council of Ministers and the company, the lawmakers wrote.

Without a decision of the National Assembly, no disposal transactions with fixed assets and the establishment of property rights on real estate owned by Mini Maritsa Iztok, used and/or intended for coal mining, as well as no transactions/contracts can be concluded and no decisions can be issued for the construction of facilities for the production of electricity from renewable sources by private investors in the properties of the complex.

An exception will be made for the lease of agricultural land for agricultural purposes located within the territory of the Mini Maritsa Iztok complex. This amendment was made by Ramadan Atalay (MRF) and supported by the majority in Parliament.

The final text of the decision dropped the period in which it was proposed to be in force - until the adoption of an up-to-date strategy for sustainable energy development of the Republic of Bulgaria, which includes a strategy for the development of the Mini Maritsa Iztok complex.