site.btaPM Instructs Ministers, Agencies to Draft New Regulations after Deadly Parasailing Incident

Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov said at the Wednesday government meeting that he has instructed the relevant ministers and agencies to prepare proposals for new regulatory measures on parasailing activities, even at the risk of criticism that the state is “intervening where it does not belong.” The statement was related to the parasailing accident at the southern beach in Nessebar (on the Black Sea) that claimed the life of an eight-year-old child on Monday.

The Prime Minister stressed that the state’s role is to ensure prevention, and added that he expects legislative proposals before the end of the summer season.

According to Zhelyazkov, the state must act to ensure initial prevention for safety and risk reduction, as well as subsequent control on high-risk activities offered as a commercial service on a market basis. He noted that the issue concerns not only air attractions but also those on water and land. Yet, there are human activities that cannot be fully covered by regulatory regimes.

PM Zhelyazkov added that while efforts are being made to reduce administrative regulation and burdens, it is important to recognize the social relations where state intervention is necessary, particularly in cases where risky recreational activities are offered to minors. Responsibility, he said, lies both with the adults supervising children and with the institutions.