site.btaAmendments to Cross-Border Police Cooperation Agreement with Romania to Be Submitted for Ratification

Meeting on Wednesday, the Council of Ministers approved a major departure from the draft Bulgarian-Romanian intergovernmental Protocol amending the May 19, 2009 bilateral Agreement on cross-border police cooperation in criminal matters. The Cabinet granted consent to proceeding with the Bulgarian national procedure for entry into force of the April 18, 2024 Bulgarian-Romanian intergovernmental Protocol amending the bilateral Agreement on cross-border police cooperation in criminal matters.

The 2009 bilateral agreement, signed in Vidin, is based on the provisions of the Convention Implementing the Schengen Agreement of 14 June 1985 and regulates the implementation of various forms of cross-border police cooperation.

The key amendments introduced by the draft Protocol include updating the competent authorities (Article 2), expanding the grounds for cross-border hot pursuit (Article 8), and optimizing the activities of the joint working group (Article 25). Other amendments concern the entry into force, amendment, and denunciation of the 2009 Agreement.

To this end, a Protocol amending the 2009 Agreement was signed on April 18, 2024, but neither Bulgaria nor Romania have taken action to implement their national procedures for entry into force of that Protocol because it was established that one of its provisions needed streamlining.   

In this connection, the Interior Ministry has prepared a new draft Protocol amending the 2009 Agreement as a basis for the conduct of negotiations by Council of Ministers decision of March 12, 2025. Consultations were held with the Romanian side on the draft, and the agreed text includes certain major departures from the draft as approved.

Pursuant to the International Treaties of the Republic of Bulgaria Act, the text of the draft as amended is subject to new approval by the Council of Ministers.

Once signed, the new Protocol amending the 2009 Agreement will be laid before the National Assembly for ratification.