site.btaGERB Withdraws Support for Offshore Renewable Energy Bill

GERB withdraws its support for the bill on renewable energy in maritime spaces, whereby wind parks are to be built in the Black Sea, leader Boyko Borissov said at a meeting with representatives of the tourist and fisheries sectors here on Friday. The bill was adopted on first reading on January 25, sparking strong resistance in the two sectors and local communities.

Emil Milev from the Black Sea Sunrise Association said that the bill was tabled in Parliament without public discussion. No one sought the branch organizations' opinion, he added.

Pavlin Kosev, head of the Varna Association of Restaurant and Hotel Owners, said that the tourist sector wants the bill withdrawn and put to public discussion with the participation of experts. The tourist branch is not against green energy, and many hotel owners have already invested in such installations.

Richard Alibegov from the Bulgarian Association of Restaurants recalled that there are many positions against the bill, including by the European Commission.

Borissov commented that the MPs of GERB backed the bill on first reading because wind parks are additional energy capacities. However, it later became clear that the bill had not been put to public discussion. He described as problematic the fact that the capacities of the planned parks would be small. Therefore, they are not worth the stress to businesses and people. In his words, once GERB withdraws its support for the bill on second reading, there is zero chance of it getting adopted by Parliament. He guaranteed that his party will be against this case from here onward.