site.btaParliament Upholds Presidential Veto on Investment Promotion Act

Parliament on Tuesday upheld  a veto by President Rumen Radev's veto on the Investment Promotion Act with 99 votes in favour, 108 against and no abstentions after a revote. In the first vote, MPs upheld the veto with 98 votes in favour, 108 against and no abstentions. In order to override the veto, 121 MPs had to vote in favour of the bill.

GERB-UDF and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms backed the amendments, while the other parliamentary groups were against.

The act was adopted at second reading on April 19, halving the procedural deadlines for investment projects of national or regional importance.

On the day when the act was voted, protesters against the changes gathered in front of Parliament.

Head of state Rumen Radev returned for further consideration the provisions that shorten the time for authorities to rule on the environmental impact of a project and introduce the principle of tacit consent for its implementation. The limitation of the possibilities for judicial review and the extension of the validity of certain decisions which are expiring or have already expired were also challenged.