News from Bulgaria, page 2

According to the NSI flash estimate of 3 November 2026, the consumer price index rose by 1.3 per cent in October on September and by 6.1 per cent on October 2025. The harmonised index stands at 0.8 per cent on the month and 6.0 per cent on the year. In September the annual rate was 5.7 per cent. The estimate rests on about 90 per cent of collected prices; the NSI publishes final figures on 16 November 2026.

At the OMFIF forum in Sofia on 3 November 2026, BNB Governor Dimitar Radev said a further ECB rate rise may be needed in December if inflation pressure persists. He called the October pause appropriate, but said it did not mean tightening had ended. Euro area inflation was 3.8 per cent in September. Bulgarian banks are well capitalised and liquid, he said, but fast mortgage growth calls for vigilance.

Ilin Dimitrov of the Bulgarian tourism ministry and his Turkish counterpart Mehmet Nuri Ersoy agreed on 3 November 2026 on the sidelines of the WTM travel fair in London to strengthen staffing at Bulgarian consular services in Türkiye. A new electronic appointment booking system is to be trialled. The aim is shorter waiting times and more predictable visa procedures. From January to August 2026 about 192,000 Turkish tourists were registered in Bulgarian accommodation, and visits by Turkish citizens totalled about 746,000. The ministry gives no dates or staff numbers.

On 2 November 2026 the municipality of Nessebar reports progress on redesigning the open spaces between apartment blocks in the Stariya Vazel quarter. The streets are being fully renovated, with a wide parking zone, new street lighting, pedestrian areas and landscaped spaces with seating. The adjoining recreation and sports facilities are not yet built. A controlled access system for the residential zones and a subscription parking model are planned. The quarter is more than 50 years old and had so far only been repaired in patches.

On the basis of Art. 149 (1) of the Spatial Planning Act (ZUT), the municipality of Pomorie announces Order No. 18 of 08.10.2026. It concerns the partial conversion of a facility for separate collection and sorting, pre-treatment and temporary storage of non-hazardous waste on plot UPI IV (35033.412.65), block 90, in Kableshkovo. The project and building permit can be inspected in the UTOOS department, 2nd floor, room 26, on Thursdays from 9:30 to 12:00 and from 13:30 to 16:00. An appeal to the administrative court can be filed within 14 days via the municipality of Pomorie (Art. 215 (1) ZUT).

The municipality of Pomorie announces that the Director of the environmental authority RIOSV Burgas has issued Decision No. БС-129-ПР/2026. It concerns the screening of whether an environmental impact assessment is required for building a campsite and a motel. The plots are 57491.16.810, 57491.16.811, 57491.16.812 and 57491.16.813 in the „Krotirya“ locality near Pomorie; the applicants are four private individuals. The decision is available at www.riosv-burgas.bg.

Assessment: The notice does not state the outcome of the screening; whether an environmental impact assessment is required appears only in the decision itself at www.riosv-burgas.bg. Anyone considering a plot in the „Krotirya“ locality, or a neighbour of the four parcels, should read the decision, because a campsite with a motel, and thus tourist use, is planned there.

Pomorie Municipality reports that it has received a notification of an investment proposal under Article 4(1) of the Bulgarian ordinance on environmental impact assessment (NUROVOS). The proposal covers a 130 m² residential building on regulated plot UPI IV, block 21, under the development plan of Kableshkovo. The developer is a private individual.

Pomorie Municipality has announced Order No. 17 of 28.10.2026 under Art. 149(1) of the Bulgarian Spatial Development Act (ZUT). It covers transceiver station 5274 of Cetin Bulgaria EAD and station BS 3131_A of Vivacom Bulgaria EAD on plot 18229.96.7 in the village of Galabets. The project and building permit can be inspected at the UTOOS department (2nd floor, room 26) every Thursday from 9:30 to 12:00 and from 13:30 to 16:00, and may be appealed within 14 days of notification before the competent administrative court via the municipality.

On 30 October 2026 the NSI reports that industrial producer prices rose by 2.6 per cent in September compared with August and by 20.9 per cent compared with September 2025. The domestic market shows 4.6 and 22.9 per cent, the non-domestic market minus 0.6 and plus 17.6 per cent. Electricity, gas and steam supply became 8.8 per cent dearer on the month and 26.7 per cent on the year, manufacturing 0.5 and 10.6 per cent. Basic metals stand 28.8 per cent and chemical products 11.2 per cent above the previous year.

Eurostat puts the average household natural gas price in the EU for the first half of 2026 at 0.1103 euro per kilowatt-hour. In Bulgaria the price falls by 14.5 per cent compared with the first half of 2025, both periods measured in euro; this is the largest decline among the member states. The statistics cover household tariffs for one half-year, and the next update is planned for April 2027.

Assessment: Lower household tariffs reduce the running costs of properties with gas heating, but the figure covers the first half-year and says nothing about the winter. For a tenant's or owner-occupier's utility costs the current price counts, and Bulgargaz has applied for 59.08 euro per megawatt-hour for November, clearly more than in October. I therefore calculate running costs with the current price rather than the half-year average.

The Municipality of Pomorie informs all interested individuals and legal entities that a draft amendment to the detailed development plan (regulation and building plan) is being prepared for UPI I 5239 in block 257 of the town of Pomorie. It covers the plot with cadastral identifier 57491.501.710 and parts of the streets with identifiers 57491.501.455 and 57491.501.476. The notice was issued by the municipal department for spatial planning and environmental protection (UTOOS) on 28 October 2026.

The Municipality of Pomorie announces building permit No. 184 of 08.10.2026 for a residential building on plot UPI X (44425.501.404), block 37, in the village of Laka. The notice is addressed to Konstruktiv Pro EOOD as an interested party. The project and the permit can be inspected every Thursday from 9:30 to 12:00 and from 13:30 to 16:00 in the UTOOS department, 2nd floor, room 26; they can be appealed within 14 days of notification.

The International Congress Centre in Burgas hosted the “Black Sea 2030” forum on maritime and energy security, climate adaptation and critical infrastructure, opened by Mayor Dimitar Nikolov. On the current situation in the Black Sea, he said there is no official information at present that gives cause for concern. According to Nikolov, construction of a student campus with laboratories, including some for digital technologies in green energy and the use of marine resources, is at an advanced stage; the forum is part of the Blue Gates project, co-financed by the EU under the Interreg NEXT “Black Sea Basin” 2021-2027 programme.

The Employment Agency reports for September 2026 that 13,836 unemployed people started a job through the labour offices, nearly 14,000 including further placements. 10,800 vacancies were registered on the primary labour market, 1,141 or 12 per cent more than in August. At the end of September 154,096 unemployed people were registered, and the registered unemployment rate stood at 5.43 per cent. 505 members of disadvantaged groups started subsidised employment.

Assessment: Anyone having a building project done on the coast, running a hotel or looking for staff for letting and property management is planning with a vacancy supply that grew by 1,141 positions month on month. The registered rate of 5.43 per cent counts only unemployed people registered with the labour offices and cannot be compared with the Eurostat rate of 3.6 per cent for July, which is collected by a different method. The source gives no figures for the Burgas region.

The National Statistical Institute (NSI) counts 7,968 newly registered legal units nationwide in the third quarter of 2026, 31.0 per cent fewer than in the same quarter of 2025. 791 units were declared bankrupt, 22.1 per cent fewer than a year earlier. Trade and motor-vehicle repair account for 6,727 of the new registrations (84.4 per cent) and 712 of the bankruptcies (90.0 per cent). Construction shows 225 new registrations against 12 bankruptcies; financial, real-estate, professional and administrative activities together record 392 new registrations and 23 bankruptcies.

On 16.10.2026 Georgi Peev, head of the transport ministry, reviewed the state of preparations with state railway BDZ, the infrastructure company NRIC, private operator Ivkoni Express and the Railway Administration. From 13 December 2026 Ivkoni Express will run passenger services in the northern region (14 per cent) and the southern region (11 per cent), 25 per cent in total; the western region, with about 75 per cent, stays with BDZ. The contracts run for 12 years. Five working groups have two weeks for rolling stock, staff transfers, depots and maintenance, timetables and ticket sales; the report does not say which lines belong to the southern region.

In Lozenets, rebuilding of the road to Oasis has begun, together with a cycle and footpath. The road stays open, with traffic reduced to one lane. The road to Lozenets central beach follows next. On a site visit on 16.10.2026 the mayor of Tsarevo named sub-measure 7.2 “Investments in the creation, improvement or expansion of all types of small-scale infrastructure” as the funding; in the next programme period over 1.5 million euros will go to the town of Ahtopol. The municipality gives neither total cost nor construction time for the road.

The municipality of Tsarevo announces an international folklore festival for late June 2027 with over 800 participants from the Balkan countries. The idea comes from Maria Gradeshlieva, director of the “Filip Kutev” National School of Folklore Arts, and Prof. Dr. Binka Dobreva. Stages will stand in Tsarevo, Ahtopol, Lozenets and Sinemorets, alongside showcases of Balkan cuisine. A world-record attempt for the Guinness book is planned; its subject will be announced later.

According to a broker's account that Flagman reported on 11.10.2026, citing BNT, two-room flats in Burgas are offered at 100,000 to 160,000 euros, with monthly rents of 550 to 600 euros. A panel-block flat in the large housing complexes can reach 130,000 to 140,000 euros, two-room flats in Horizont and Madika stand at 120,000 to 130,000 euros, and three-room flats with two bedrooms at up to 250,000 euros. Some inflated asking prices are being cut step by step, while the broker sees no fall in rents yet. For Eurovision in May 2027 some owners expect about 10,000 euros for a week; the broker considers that unrealistic because guests can stay more cheaply outside the city.

Assessment: Arithmetically, a monthly rent of 550 to 600 euros on purchase prices of 100,000 to 160,000 euros gives a gross rental yield of 4.1 to 7.2 per cent (annual rent divided by purchase price, before running costs, vacancy and taxes). The price and rent ranges do not come from the same flat, so the figure is a frame, not a promise of return. Anyone planning a short-term let for Eurovision should calculate with the prices guests actually pay, not with wish figures.

According to Marsh Bulgaria's annual TRS Bulgaria 2026 remuneration survey, salaries rose by an average of 6 per cent in 2026; employers expect 5 per cent for 2027, while increases in Western Europe have levelled off at around 3 per cent. Pay rose most in manufacturing, by 8.1 per cent, and in transport, by 7.8 per cent, and least in high technology, by 5.2 per cent, although salaries there remain around 24 per cent above the market level. Regionally, Sofia pays on average 5 per cent more than the market, while Central Bulgaria pays 12 per cent and the Burgas area 13 per cent less. Just under a third of companies, 32 per cent, increased their headcount in 2026, 54 per cent kept it unchanged, and the share that cut jobs almost doubled to 7 per cent.

On 13 October Bulgargaz applied to the Energy and Water Regulatory Commission for a November price of 59.08 euros per megawatt hour, after 44.09 euros in October, an increase of almost 34 per cent. The application concerns the regulated price and does not automatically mean the same cost increase for every business; the commission has yet to decide. On the electricity market, the exchange price rose within two hours on 9 October from 148.35 to 379.67 euros per megawatt hour. According to the system operator, net electricity exports from the start of the year to 11 October reached 3.66 terawatt hours, around 70 per cent more than a year earlier, and battery storage delivered 1.82 terawatt hours, compared with 0.20 in the same period of 2025.

From the EXPAND STRANDJA project under the Interreg programme for cross-border cooperation between Bulgaria and Türkiye, the Municipality of Sozopol receives 413,261.32 euros, of which 351,272.12 euros are EU funds and 61,989.20 euros national co-financing; the project as a whole totals 923,212.25 euros. The money will give the open-air stage in front of the cultural centre new seats in place of the worn ones and further places for spectators, new lighting, a permanent sound system, and rooms and sanitary facilities for performers, including accessible ones. The tender for the construction works has been published, and the project runs from 3 February 2026 to 2 February 2028. The lead partner is the Turkish municipality of Vize, and the stated aim is to reduce the seasonality of tourism in the border region.

For August 2026 the National Statistical Institute counts 1,057 accommodation establishments in Burgas district with 150,752 bed places, 3,100,908 overnight stays and 643,592 arrivals. Revenue from overnight stays reached 190.862 million euros, of which 142.063 million came from non-residents, who booked 2,147,723 of the nights; that is 49.6 per cent of the national figure of 384.5 million euros. Nationwide, overnight stays fell by 2.0 per cent and arrivals by 0.8 per cent compared with August 2025, while revenue rose by 13.3 per cent. Bed occupancy stood at 65.9 per cent in Burgas district and at 56.5 per cent nationally; four- and five-star establishments reached 72.0 per cent across the country.

Assessment: Fewer guests but higher revenue: the pattern of June and July continues in August. Burgas district earns almost half of the national revenue from overnight stays and runs nearly ten points above the national occupancy rate. For owners who let, the category therefore matters most: anyone buying a flat as a holiday let should align fit-out and management with the upper segment, where occupancy is highest.

Cabinet head Rumen Radev presented the 2027 budget on 14 October 2026; on the same day the cabinet decides on sending the budget plan to the European Commission and the Eurogroup. According to the head of government, the main taxes on income, profit and value added remain unchanged. Additional revenue is to come from better collection, action against fraud and a one-off contribution from banks, insurers, retail chains and telecommunications companies. Measures against fraud in property transactions are also to be tightened. Public-sector salaries rise by 5 per cent, teachers' pay by 7.5 per cent and pensions by 8 per cent; an increase in the minimum wage is planned, but the government names no figure.

The statistics institute NSI reports annual inflation of 5.7% for September 2026, with a monthly figure of minus 0.2%. Prices have risen by 4.2% since December 2025; the average for the twelve months from October 2025 to September 2026 is 5.1%. Month on month, transport became 3.7% dearer and education 3.2%, the group housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels 0.4%. Recreation, sport and culture became 10.2% cheaper, package holidays and tourist trips 15.8%. Over three years inflation adds up to 12.9%, over five years to 42.4%.

On 14 October 2026 the Bulgarian government approved a draft agreement with Türkiye on a new border crossing, Kapitan Andreevo–Kapikule North. It is to be built north of the existing crossings on both sides of the border. The draft counts as a basis for negotiations; nothing has been signed. A joint commission will determine the technical specification, the location of the access roads and the crossing, the types of traffic, operating hours, the number of lanes, the infrastructure and the types of cargo and passengers. The agreement is also to settle legal and practical questions for all border crossings between the two countries.

On 14 October 2026 the government approved an additional transfer of more than EUR 4.8 million to the budget of Burgas Municipality. The money funds the preparation and hosting of the Eurovision Song Contest 2027, which takes place in Burgas in May 2027. It covers the organisation of a test event and the subsequent technical preparations at Arena Burgas in line with the approved schedule. Burgas was chosen as host of the 71st edition in August by the Bulgarian National Television (BNT) and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).

On 20 October 2026, from 14:30 to 16:00, the Municipality of Nessebar holds the second training workshop of the EU project TOURAL at the Artium Centre, with a live stream. A new tourism product will be presented: cultural dives to sunken ruins, fortress walls and ancient harbour structures. The dives take place under the supervision of the Centre for Underwater Archaeology and are meant to create year-round offers for visitors.

On 12.10.2026 the Municipality of Pomorie issued three orders (No. РД-16-2019, РД-16-2020 and РД-16-2021) permitting the preparation of amendments to the regulation and development plans. They concern parcels 35033.8.464 and 35033.8.448 in the Rekitsa area (Kableshkovo) and parcels 57491.508.158 and 57491.508.159 in the Paleokastro area (Pomorie). The orders can be appealed to the Administrative Court of Burgas within 14 days of notification.

The Mayor of Pomorie has authorised the drafting of an amendment to the detailed development plan (development plan and working plan) by Order No. РД-16-2025 of 14.10.2026. It covers plots UPI X 6030, UPI XI 6031 and UPI XII 6032 in block 273 of the town of Pomorie (cadastral IDs 57491.504.11, 57491.504.12 and 57491.504.13). Interested parties may appeal the order before the Administrative Court of Burgas within 14 days of notification.