site.btaMinister Says Bulgaria Should Press Ahead with Electricity Market Liberalization

Caretaker Minister of Energy Vladimir Malinov said on Tuesday that energy should not be used as a social policy tool. "When this is understood, a key step forward will have been taken and it will be easier to liberalize the electricity market for household consumers," Malinov told the Fourth Powers Summit at the Sofia Tech Park. The conference brought together members of the government, representatives of political parties and senior business executives for a discussion on the main challenges and opportunities for Bulgaria.

The minister called for the establishment of an inter-agency working group for full liberalization of the electricity market involving all interested parties, including the Council of Ministers and the National Assembly Energy Committee. "We count on a well-functioning parliament. The measures to be planned by the working group need to have a legislative framework which will lend them predictability, a long range and a clear horizon," he argued.

Bulgaria should send a clear signal to Brussels about when the liberalization of the national electricity market will be completed by liberalizing the household users segment, Malinov observed. He noted that low public awareness of the matter is not the only issue.

He also said that the Batak and Dospat pumped-storage hydropower projects should be implemented on the basis of public-private partnership because they are rather costly. He called for political support for the projects.