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© Anelia Nikolova
Bulgaria will abolish measures requiring retailers to display prominently and provide special venues for the sale of local products.
This was requested by the European Commission in an official notification letter to Sofia, which is the first step in the EU criminal proceedings. According to Brussels, the obligations imposed on merchants restrict the free movement of goods, as well as the freedom of merchants. (According to the Minister of Agriculture, Desislava Taneva, this is not the case; read the details of her position here).
They were adopted by the government with a decree in April: it forced retailers, who represent chain stores, to offer Bulgarian products to local (regional) producers. The points of sale must have a sufficient area for the exhibition and sale of the food in question and must be appropriately marked to show that the products offered are produced regionally. Milk and dairy products from Bulgarian raw milk should be offered in these locations; fish and fishery products; fresh meat and eggs; honey; Seasonal fresh fruits and vegetables produced by regional producers. For non-compliance with the requirements of the decree, sanctions are imposed, which meanwhile were registered in the law on the state of emergency – BGN 15 to 25 thousand, and in case of repeated violation – BGN 30 to 50 thousand.
“Such restrictions can only be justified for overriding reasons of general interest, such as public health, and must be appropriate and necessary to achieve this objective. Due to the exceptional circumstances arising from the health situation related to the coronavirus and the weakening of the economies of the EU, it is absolutely necessary to preserve the free movement of goods and the freedom of establishment, “the European Commission said in a statement.
In principle, Brussels has extended the deadline to reply to these letters from two to four months, but as such obstacles could undermine the single market, Bulgaria will have one month to reply to the letter.
The subject was also commented on by the European Commissioner for the Internal Market, Thierry Breton, in a letter to the German MEP Andreas Schwab, writes Agence Europe. According to her, the decision of the Bulgarian authorities “was not correct” and Breton contacted them to work on “alternative measures that do not hinder the sale of products from other member states.” Dnevnik awaits responses on the matter from the Breton and Schwab offices.
The formal notification letter for non-compliance with European legislation is the first step in the criminal process; a “reasoned opinion” is sent, which is a formal request for the country to comply with European laws. If the national authorities continue to ignore them, the EC refers the case to the Court of Justice of the European Communities.
