The Institute for Market Economy sharply criticized the changes to the Euro Law, which give enormous powers to the Consumer Protection Commission. According to the organization's chief economist, Lachezar Bogdanov, this is "an attempt to return to a planned economy".
Due to concerns about price speculation, the government submitted to parliament urgent changes to the Euro Law – without public discussion, which give additional powers to regulatory authorities to sanction "unjustified price increases". In a video published on the IME website, the institute's chief economist, Lachezar Bogdanov, warns:
"If the government's proposal is adopted, practically the entire economy will come under the control of the Consumer Protection Commission by the end of 2026. The Commission will be able to demand an explanation from every enterprise in every branch of the economy as to how and why it determined the price of each of its goods and services and, if it does not like this explanation, to impose a fine of up to 2% of turnover, and this kills businesses. And since such a regulatory monster cannot monitor tens of thousands of businesses and tens of thousands of prices, it will be used as another bat. There was no such intervention in the economy under Zhan Videnov either! Do not create a committee on valuables! Do not take us back to 1968.
Bogdanov specified that the text was written before the consideration of the bill at first reading in parliament. However, this is a stage at which the normative act is approved in substance, and changes can be made between the first and second readings:
I recall that this week the texts passed their first reading in parliament. Their final vote is pending before the summer vacation of the National Assembly.