European Parliament

The fees that banks charge retailers for processing shoppers' payments would be capped under new rules voted by European Parliament on Thursday.

Measures to make online payments safer, reduce costs and give users more choice were adopted by a separate vote on the same day, an official press release on the EP website states.

European Parliament has called on the EU's Commission to "seriously consider" the possibility of freezing European funds for Bulgaria.

The proposal was part of a report prepared by the EU's budget committee on the implementation of 2012 EU budget, Bulgarian agency Mediapool has reported.

MEPs decided to cut customs duties for Ukrainian imports, in a move to help Ukraine's struggling economy.

"About 98% of the customs duties that Ukrainian iron, steel, farm produce and machinery exporters pay at EU borders" are to be abolished, according to a press release by the European Parliament.

The registration of parties for the European Parliament elections on May 25 with Bulgaria's Central Electoral Commission (CEC) starts Thursday.

The deadline for the registration of parties and coalitions is April 9, including, according to reports of Sega daily.

President Rosen Plevneliev discussed the situation of Syrian refugees in Bulgaria at a meeting with EU Council President Herman Van Rompuy in Brussels.

Panayiotis Psomiadis, a former governor of Central Macedonia, has resigned from conservative party New Democracy, the AMNA news agency reported on Wednesday.

According to agency reports, Psomiadis left the conservative party after being refused a candidate spot on New Democracy’s European Parliament list in view of next month's elections.

BRUSSELS - Sasa Mirkovic, Serbia's assistant minister of culture and information in the outgoing government, voiced confidence that a new set of media laws will improve the situation in that field.

European Parliament President Martin Schulz and Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev discussed the upcoming EP elections at a meeting in Brussels.

EU calls for Serbian media sector to be better regulated

BRUSSELS -- Poor condition of the media sector in Serbia is caused by a lack of regulation and clear market rules, said participants of a panel on freedom of the media.

“Speak Up, Serbia” was held on Tuesday at the European Parliament (EP).

BRUSSELS- Poor condition of the media sector in Serbia is caused by the lack of regulation and clear market rules, participants of the panel discussion on freedom of the media “Speak Up, Serbia” agreed on Tuesday at the European Parliament (EP).