New Development with the Concession of Sofia Airport

A new development around the concession of Sofia Airport. Once the obstacle with the amendments to the Concessions Act has been dropped and they have been approved by the Parliament, it now turns out that the President is delaying the decree on the promulgation of the corrected texts in the State Gazette.

BSP is against the changes in the Concessions Act and insists that the airport should not be given to a concessionaire with an argument protecting national security.

President Rumen Radev has not formally expressed his position so far. His office appointment, headed by Ognian Gerdjikov, ended the first concession procedure. The main argument was the lowered criteria, but also the protection of national security.

So if the Concessions Act is not promulgated, and even if it happens on Friday or next week, there will be a new extension of the deadline for submitting bids.

Transport Minister Rossen Zhelyazkov expressed confidence that at the latest later this week the amendments to the Concessions Act will be published in the State Gazette.

The deadline for submission of proposals for the Sofia Airport concession is April 3, as announced in the official EU Gazette.

Changes to the Concessions Act require supplementing in the design documentation. The law foresees, when there is such a thing, that it be announced in the Official Journal of the EU as well. That is why the deadline should be extended not less than seven days, explained the procedure Rosen Zhelyazkov.

Thus, "if the law is promulgated this or next week, I will send the relevant notice in the EU Official Journal to extend the deadline for submission of tenders by April 11," said the transport minister.