At first reading, the deputies of the Energy Committee of the parliament postponed the entry of household consumers into the free electricity market. This is happening with changes to the Energy Act, with possible amendments postponing the liberalization by two or 5 years, reports the Bulgarian National Radio.
The final texts will be specified between the first and second readings, taking into account what was agreed with the European Commission on the subject. Talks with it will continue in the coming days, said Energy Minister Zhecho Stankov:
"What we managed to agree with the EC is that there will be no deadline for the market to be liberalized. It is a matter for the people's representatives to choose a date".
Stankov also explained the change in the model by which regulated prices will be determined for the period of the voted postponement:
"What will happen is that the decisions to determine the regulated price will also be supported by a decision of the Council of Ministers, based on calculations by colleagues from the Energy and Water Regulatory Commission, and between the price that is actually determined by a decision of the Council of Ministers to the market price, this value of energy will be compensated by the "Security" fund of the electricity system, or in other words - physically and financially for household consumers, nothing will change in this model, and in the long term".