In line with amendments to the Energy Act now under preparation, the Bulgarian Parliament has directed the Ministry of Energy to prepare a Sustainable Energy Strategy ("Strategy") for the country for the period beyond 2020.
Parliament’s decision takes into consideration that the country’s current energy strategy expires in 2020, and the Energy Efficiency Strategy as envisioned under the Energy Efficiency Act was never passed.
The Strategy document must be prepared, pass its environmental assessment, and be adopted by the end of 2019.
As an important policy-defining document, the Strategy is subject to review and approval by both the Bulgarian government and parliament. Once approved, the Strategy will be published in the State Gazette and serve as a leading policy document, laying the foundation for long-term development in this sector.
Initially, several lawmakers proposed that the Strategy to be prepared and adopted by the end of 2018. The Ministry of Energy, however, opposed this deadline, which it considered unrealistic.
Given the fact that the Winter Package (the European Commission’s communication 'Clean Energy For All Europeans') promotes a strong relationship between energy and energy efficiency in the EU, and given the upcoming energy reforms still to be finalised at the EU level, the Bulgarian Parliament accepted the Ministry of Energy’s arguments during the second hearing of the Energy Act’s amendments that Bulgaria will need 18 months to finalise the Strategy, complete its environmental assessment, and present the final product for approval.
This timeframe also coincides with the expiry of the country’s current Energy Strategy.
During detailed discussions in the parliament’s Energy Committee, the Ministry of Energy revealed that it has already begun preparation of the Strategy’s initial draft.
Bulgarian legislation requires that the Strategy contain the main aims, stages, means and methods for the development of Bulgarian energy and energy efficiency. Following its final adoption, the Bulgarian government and the Ministry of Energy will be in a position to realise this new long-term policy, even though reaching these goals may require the adoption of short and mid term decisions to balance Bulgaria’s energy needs.
For further information on this Strategy and Bulgaria’s changing energy sector, please contact: Kostadin Sirleshtov.
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