News from Bulgaria, page 7

On 31 August 2026 the energy and water regulator set the competitive price of natural gas for September at 41.60 euro per megawatt hour. The figure excludes access and transmission charges, excise duty and value added tax, and stands 5.5 per cent above the August level. At the same time it remains some 25 euro per megawatt hour below European exchange quotations, which ranged from 66.98 to 68.92 euro during the decision period. The price blends contracted Azerbaijani gas with liquefied natural gas bought through tender, and carries components for entry, public supply obligation and storage at Chiren. The legal basis is Regulation No 2 of 19 March 2013 on price regulation in the gas sector.

Assessment: On the coast natural gas determines heating bills less often than inland, but it feeds in through district heating and through electricity pricing. More important than the monthly figure is the gap to the exchange: as long as it stands at 25 euro, the regulated price absorbs part of the swing. For properties with a gas connection I check before purchase which supplier delivers and whether the contract is tied to the regulated price. For heat pumps and air conditioning, by contrast, the electricity price is what counts, and that is a separate calculation.

On 10 September 2026 Sozopol municipality published a draft development plan. It concerns the plot with cadastral number 67800.53.59 in the Mapi locality. The plot currently lies in agricultural territory. The draft turns it into regulated plot XIX-53.59 with residential use and a right to build. The legal basis is Article 128(3) of the Spatial Planning Act. Objections, proposals and requests are received by the spatial planning department at Han Krum Square 2, second floor, room 29, in writing within 14 days. The notice comes down on 23 September 2026.

By order No 8-z-801 of 4 September 2026 the mayor of Sozopol approved a development plan. The municipality published the approval on 8 September 2026. It covers regulated plots XX-36.528 with cadastral number 67800.36.77 and II-36048 within the territory of the town of Sozopol, cadastral code 67800. The legal basis is Article 129(2) of the Spatial Planning Act. The notice includes the graphic part of the plan and the order itself, both as downloadable documents. Anyone deriving a right from one of these plots should examine the plan now, not at the notary appointment.

Order No 8-Z-383 of 28 April 2026 bans machine-assisted construction and open building and assembly work in Sozopol municipality from 15 May to 30 September 2026. It covers the town of Sozopol, the Duni resort, Chernomorets and the holiday and villa zones A and B along the coast; the legal basis is the Black Sea Coast Act together with municipal council decision No 750 of 24 February 2026. Interior work without heavy machinery remains permitted in defined zones between 09:00 and 12:00 and between 16:00 and 19:00. Emergency and repair work, geoprotection measures and projects in the public interest such as school buildings and EU-funded schemes are exempt.

The municipality of Nesebar reminds parents that attendance in preschool and school education remains compulsory for certain age groups in the 2026/2027 school year. Children born in 2021 fall under compulsory preschool education pursuant to Art. 8(1) of the Preschool and School Education Act, and children born in 2019 under compulsory school education pursuant to Art. 8(2) of the same act. Parents must enrol their child at the relevant educational institution and ensure regular attendance; failure to comply triggers penalties under Art. 347 of that act.

On 18 September 2026 Pomorie municipality opens the redesigned seafront zone in the Sveti Georgi residential quarter. Its centrepiece is a massive stone composition by sculptors Darin Ganchev and Filip Filipov, created under the direction of Milcho Talev at the «The world is sea» plein air; a ship's propeller from the fishing harbour is worked into the piece. Green areas with drip irrigation, palms and benches complete the scheme.

On 11 September 2026 Burgas municipality notified all owners in plots 07079.820.1214 and 07079.820.983. The reason is a draft amendment to the detailed development plan. For plot 07079.820.1048 in quarter 72 of the Sarafovo district, a regulated plot UPI LX is created. The site was formerly known as massif 14 in the Ovoshtite locality. It is designated for detached residential building. Four storeys and a height of 12.00 metres are permitted. Building density goes up to 70 per cent, the floor area ratio up to 1.7. At least 30 per cent stays green space. Parking has to be provided within the plot itself. The legal basis is Article 128(3) and (5) of the Spatial Planning Act. Objections may be filed for 14 days. The documents are on display at the Izgrev administrative centre until 25 September.

Assessment: Sarafovo is being densified plot by plot. A density of 70 per cent with a floor area ratio of 1.7 means the neighbour may build close and high. An open view bought today is not bought for good. Before any deposit I therefore read the plan for the adjoining plot as well. And I note the 14 days: once the period has lapsed, no remedy against the parameters is left.

On 10 September 2026 the mayor of Burgas issued eleven expropriation orders. They were published on 11 September. They concern plots 07079.8.991 to 07079.8.995 and 07079.8.1009 to 07079.8.1014. These lie in the Cherna gora locality, Meden Rudnik land area. The orders carry the numbers 2937, 2939, 2943, 2946, 2947, 2948, 2949, 2950, 2954, 2955 and 2956. The basis is a development plan in force for the route of a service road with its infrastructure. An appeal to the administrative court may be lodged within 14 days of service. The orders are available in room 212 of the municipality, on working days from 8.30 to 17.15. The notice remains posted until 25 September.

On 11 September 2026 Pomorie municipal council published the agenda of its 56th session. It opens on 17 September at 10.00 in hall 2 of the municipality. The first item is report OS-695 on adopting the 2026 budget. Next come a design brief for a development plan in Kableshkovo (OS-670) and consent to a ban on lorries above eight tonnes on road BGS 2143 (OS-704). Also on the list are a purchase offer for a building in Bata (OS-707) and a mandate for the mayor to negotiate a plot in Kableshkovo (OS-722). Added to these are the 2025 annual accounts of Medical Centre 1 (OS-710) and two representation decisions. One of them concerns the general meeting of UMBAL Burgas AD on 12 October 2026.

On 11 September 2026 the statistics institute published final foreign trade figures for 2025. Exports reached 43.06 billion euro, 2.9 per cent below the previous year, while imports came to 53.94 billion euro, 6.0 per cent above it, leaving a balance of minus 10.88 billion euro. Machinery and equipment led exports with 23.4 per cent ahead of manufactured goods classified chiefly by material at 20.8 per cent; on the import side machinery and vehicles took 29.2 per cent ahead of chemical products at 12.7 per cent. Raw materials rose by 17.7 per cent and mineral fuels fell by 28.1 per cent; Germany, Romania, Italy and Greece together absorb more than two thirds of exports to the EU, while outside the EU Türkiye, the United States, Serbia, North Macedonia and China account for almost 49 per cent.

On 11 September 2026 Eurostat updated its figures on first residence permits for 2025. Around 3.9 million first permits were issued in the EU to non-EU citizens, 10.1 per cent or 355,350 more than in 2024. Bulgaria records a rise of 19.9 per cent in permits issued overall. Employment was the most frequent reason at 33.6 per cent or 1.3 million permits, ahead of family at 28.1 per cent and education at 15.5 per cent; by citizenship India with 227,577 permits and Morocco with 202,054 rank well up the list.

Assessment: A rise of 19.9 per cent in permits issued in Bulgaria describes precisely the group of buyers who purchase on the southern coast and then want to stay. For owners that means two things: demand for year-round flats grows faster than demand for pure holiday units, and the authorities process more applications, which does not shorten waiting times. The permit never follows from the purchase; it always follows from a legal ground of its own. For an assessment in an individual case I draw on my local network of notaries, tax advisers and lawyers.

On 11 September 2026 the labour ministry named the calculated ceiling for the 2027 minimum wage: under the new formula the maximum is 672.80 euro. Whether the figure lands at 660 or 670 euro depends, according to that statement, on the overall budget picture. The formula was developed jointly with the social and economic partners rather than set unilaterally.

On 10 September 2026 the Governing Council of the European Central Bank raised its three key rates by 25 basis points each. From 16 September the deposit facility stands at 2.50 per cent, the main refinancing operations rate at 2.65 per cent and the marginal lending facility at 2.90 per cent. Central bank staff expect headline inflation of 3.0 per cent in 2026, 2.5 per cent in 2027 and 2.1 per cent in 2028, with growth of 0.9, 1.4 and 1.5 per cent. As Bulgaria belongs to the euro area, these rates also govern the refinancing of Bulgarian banks.

On 10 September 2026 Sozopol municipality published order No 8-Z-698 of 4 August 2026. It approves a new regulated plot UPI XXIV-1173 in the Budzhaka locality outside the settlement boundary, designated for villa construction and a transformer station; 36 square metres pass into the already approved street regulation. The plots concerned are 67800.8.951.1, 67800.8.219.1, 67800.8.958 and 67800.8.220, with VIHOLD EOOD named as owner of the first. The legal basis is paragraph 4(2) of the implementing rules and Article 129(2) of the Spatial Planning Act; the documents are on display from 10 to 23 September, and an appeal to the administrative court may be lodged through the municipality within 14 days.

On 9 September 2026 Burgas municipality published the approval of a plan excerpt. It concerns order No 2378 of 27 July 2026. The order was issued by the deputy mayor for construction, investment and regional development. It covers regulated plot UPI VII-265 in quarter 55 of the Kraymorie district, cadastral number 07079.30.460. A plan excerpt brings a single plot forward before the overarching development plan has become final. The order may be challenged under Article 215(4) of the Spatial Planning Act, within 14 days before the Administrative Court in Burgas. The documents are on display in room 409 of the municipality from 8.30 to 17.15. The notice ends on 23 September at 17.00.

Assessment: The plan excerpt is an accelerator. It explains why individual sites in Kraymorie start earlier than the plan for the quarter would suggest. For the buyer this means two things: building on this plot can proceed quickly, and the excerpt depends on the overarching plan. When buying off plan I therefore ask what the building permit rests on. A plan excerpt and a development plan that has become final are two very different levels of security.

On 9 September 2026 Burgas municipality put on display a draft amendment to the development plan for plot UPI XIII-188 in block 13 of the Sarafovo district, cadastral identifier 07079.820.469. The zoning moves from low-rise residential «Zhm» to medium-rise residential «2/Zhs». The draft provides for free-standing medium-rise construction at heights of 9.00 and 12.00 metres plus a single-storey section, a building density of up to 70 per cent, a floor area ratio of up to 2.0, a minimum of 30 per cent green space and parking within the plot; a distance of 3.00 metres from the street regulation line must be kept. Objections may be filed until 17:00 on 23 September 2026, and the documents are available at the Izgrev citizens' centre daily from 08:30 to 12:30.

On 8 September 2026 Burgas municipality published a list of 20 persons. The legal basis is Article 32 of the Tax and Social Insurance Procedure Code. It concerns letters about established arrears. The dues involved are property tax, vehicle tax and the waste collection fee. Those named have 14 days to collect the documents in person. The counter is the responsible municipal department on the fourth floor, daily from 9.00 to 12.00. If nobody appears, the documents and the notice are placed on file and count as duly served. The notice remains posted until 23 September.

On 8 September 2026 Burgas municipality published a notification. It comes from the companies Skarabey Build EOOD and Zoleks EOOD. They plan one- and two-family houses together with buildings for public needs. This includes an amendment of the development plan for regulated plot UPI XXVIII-199 in quarter 16 of the Kraymorie district. The cadastral number is 07079.30.62. The procedure follows the Environmental Protection Act and the ordinance on environmental impact assessment. The municipality accepts comments. The full notification is available as a file.

On 8 September 2026 Burgas municipality published the notification of the company Andredi Luks Stroy OOD. The proposal covers six single-family houses. The site is plot 07079.30.480 in the Kafka locality, land area of the city of Burgas. The procedure follows the Environmental Protection Act. The municipality accepts comments and makes the full notification available for download. The Kafka locality lies in the southern belt of the Burgas land area. Individual villa plots have been emerging there from former farmland for years.

Assessment: Six houses are not a large scheme. Yet this is exactly how most new-build supply on the southern coast is created. For a buyer that says more than any market forecast. It shows where finished houses will stand in twelve to eighteen months and what supply the buyer will then face. Anyone planning to sell should know the moment when six new properties in the same locality reach the market.

The grape harvest in Burgas district entered its active phase on 8 September 2026. Wholesale purchase prices stand at 0.50 to 0.60 euro per kilogramme; Muscat Ottonel around Karnobat fetches 0.80 to 1.00 euro and Merlot near Sungurlare about 0.90 euro. White varieties dominate the harvest, among them Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, and growers report good quality after a difficult previous year. Marketing remains the bottleneck, because supply exceeds the processing capacity of many wineries.

On 3 September 2026 the committee on internal security and public order decided at first reading. The government bill amending the Foreigners Act received 14 votes in favour and one against. The bill transposes Directive 2024/1233 of the European Union. It gives third-country nationals a single procedure for a combined residence and work permit. Shorter deadlines are planned for the ordinary and the fast-track issuing of identity documents and driving licences. Amendments to the Health Act cover access to health care during the screening procedure. The Act on Bulgarian identity documents is being adjusted as well. The stated aim is to make legal labour migration easier and to curb the exploitation of workers.

The Road Infrastructure Agency accepts applications for financial support to commercial road haulage until 17 September 2026. Up to 55 million euro is available in total, with a maximum of 300,000 euro per company; the amount follows the road tolls paid in 2025, which are checked automatically. Eligible applicants are companies holding a road haulage licence whose main activity is road haulage. The basis is Decree No 115 of 27 August 2026, promulgated in the State Gazette on 1 September; applications run electronically via transportfunds.bgtoll.bg.

On 31 August 2026 Burgas municipality published order No 2730 of 26 August 2026. It was issued by the deputy mayor for construction, investment and regional development. It approves the draft amendment of the development plan in its regulation part. The subject is regulated plot UPI I in quarter 11 under the plan of the Mineralni Bani villa zone. The plots concerned are 07079.701.83, 07079.701.84, 07079.701.85 and 07079.701.86. The order may be challenged under Article 215(4) of the Spatial Planning Act, within 14 days before the Administrative Court in Burgas. The documents are on display in room 409 of the municipality daily from 8.30 to 12.30. The notice remains posted until 14 September.

Assessment: The Mineralni Bani villa zone lies next to the thermal area the municipality is investing in. Every regulation there is therefore a question of value. Recutting four cadastral plots is the usual first step before a larger building project. Interested buyers should inspect the regulation before the preliminary contract. Access and building rights are decided by the boundary in the plan, not by the fence standing there today.

The European Commission records that Bulgaria and Romania became full members of the Schengen area on 1 January 2025, once checks on persons at the internal land borders had been lifted; at air and sea borders this had already happened on 31 March 2024. For the drive from central Europe to the southern coast this means that anyone travelling through Hungary and Romania and crossing into Bulgaria at Ruse or Durankulak no longer has a third-country border on the route. The route through Serbia and the Kalotina crossing, by contrast, has two external borders and therefore two points where queues build. Before departure the route deserves two questions: does it include a border with a non-Schengen state, and is there an alternative crossing for it. The return leg is checked at the same time, because a queue works in both directions.

Burgas municipality lists the issuing of a certificate of tax valuation for real property as service 2396. The fee is 5.11 euro, with 1.02 euro for each further property and 1.53 euro for each unfinished building. The standard deadline is five days, three days at double the fee and 24 hours at triple; an application filed before noon is served the same working day under the express procedure. Required are the application, copies of the title documents, for farmland additionally a certificate of current characteristics and a sketch, plus a power of attorney if the owner does not appear in person. One point matters for timing: a certificate issued up to 30 June is valid only until that date, one issued afterwards until the end of the year.

The regional utility ViK Burgas publishes, village by village, where water supply in the Pomorie district is restricted. For the village of Kosicheno it lists a daily 15-hour rationing from 18:00 to 09:00. The page also carries announced interruptions in the town of Pomorie itself, most recently on Friday 28 August in the area of the summer cinema because of a fault. Anyone viewing a property in the coastal hinterland should open this page before the preliminary contract, search for the place name and take the result into the negotiation in writing. A supply regime is no reason to walk away, but it belongs in the price and not in the first summer week after moving in.

The Municipality of Pomorie announces that the Director of RIOSV Burgas has issued decision No. BS-3-5/2026 under the environmental impact assessment procedure. It concerns the investment proposal for construction of a photovoltaic power plant on the plots with identifiers 57790.4.75 and 57790.4.76 under the cadastral map of the village of Poroy, locality „Chernitsata“, Municipality of Pomorie, together with an amendment of the PUP-PZ development plan for a photovoltaic plant for generation and storage of electricity on those plots; the developer is „EYPEYS“ OOD. The decision is published at www.riosvbs.com under Preventive Activity/EIA/EIA Decisions.

Pomorie municipality has published eight monthly reports: on cash budget execution, on accounts for third party funds, on funds from other international programmes, plus three reports on EU funds (cohesion and structural funds via the National Fund, the paying agency of the State Fund Agriculture, and other EU funds). A statement of overdue receivables and liabilities and an explanatory note complete the set. The notice is by Sofia Andreeva, dated 11 September 2026, and points to the municipality's Viber channel for further news.

At its session of 4 September 2026 Nesebar municipal council approved four detailed development plans in the Sunny Beach West resort complex; minutes No. 28 were published on 11 September. Plot UPI IV-290 in block 4402, cadastral identifier 51500.506.542, moves from resort construction to residential and resort construction with retail and services. UPI VI-483 in block 3305, identifier 51500.507.264, becomes residential construction with public services and on-site parking, while UPI XI-617 in block 401, identifier 51500.508.70, becomes purely residential. The parameters stay the same in all three cases: density 30 per cent, floor area ratio 1.50, height up to 15 metres, minimum green space 50 per cent. The fourth decision splits UPI XIII-268 in block 4901, measuring 2,000 square metres, into three parcels of 667 square metres each, identifiers 51500.506.594, 51500.506.595 and 51500.506.596; there the resort designation remains, with a height limit of 12 metres.

Assessment: The shift from resort to residential use changes who buys in Sunny Beach. Residential land can be used all year and sold to people who live there rather than only to holiday guests, which keeps service charges funded and makes resale easier. Density and green share stay unchanged, so the neighbourhood is not built up more tightly. Before any preliminary contract I ask to see the plan in force for the specific plot, because the parameters differ from block to block.

On 4 September Nesebar municipal council resolved on two public tenders. The first awards building rights on two municipal non-residential plots: UPI I-obsht in block 53a in Ravda with a starting price of 30,000 euro and UPI VIII-182,183 in Sunny Beach West at 24,446 euro, intended for a leisure and sports facility and an office building respectively. The second leases six shop units in the building with identifier 53045.502.593.2 in Obzor for five years, with annual rents from 1,290.24 to 2,856.96 euro including VAT and a participation deposit of 10 per cent. The same session approved two smaller sales of co-ownership shares: 230 square metres of plot 51500.58.3 for 1,877 euro and 80 of 680 square metres of plot 39164.502.686 for 3,458 euro.