site.btaGovernment Will Seek Serious, Long-Term Water Attractions Regulation, PM Zhelyazkov Says

The government will seek serious, long-term regulation, Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov told journalists after the opening of a kindergarten in Kostinbrod on Tuesday. Zhelyazkov commented on the drafting of a legal framework regarding various attractions. 

Following the parasailing incident in Nessebar, in which an eight-year-old child died, the Prime Minister stated that he tasked ministers and agencies with making proposals for changes related to this activity. “My advice to the members of the expert group currently working on this is to not act reactively or in panic. The regulation must be of sufficient quality, whether in the form of law or secondary legislation,” Zhelyazkov said.  

Zhelyazkov added that this regulation should not interfere with the freedom of commercial activity, while ensuring the prevention of all risks. “Consumers must have guarantees that the equipment, methods, tools, and ways of carrying out these high-risk activities have undergone the necessary certification,” Zhelyazkov said. 

The Prime Minister also highlighted the need for broad regulation of administrative and criminal responsibility that covers both current and future attractions. “We have discussed tightening the rules for the use of watercraft such as jet skis, including introducing a license requirement for operating a jet ski and a ban on operating one under the age of 18,” Zhelyazkov noted.